牛科动物多样性与栖息地适应.pdfVIP

Bovids

A.ThefamilyofmlscalledbovidsbelongstotheArtiodactylclass,whichalso

includesgiraffes.Bovidsarehighlydiversegroupconsistingof137species,some

ofwhicharemansmostimportantdomesticanimals.

B.BovidsarewellrepresentedinmostpartsofEurasiaandSoutheastAsianislands,

buttheyarebyfarthemostnumerousanddiverseinthelatterSomespeciesof

bovidaresolitary,butothersliveinlargegroupswithcomplexsocialstructures.

Althoughbovidshaveadaptedtoawiderangeofhabitats,fromarctictundratodeep

tropicalforest,themajorityofspeciesfavouropengrassland,scrubordesert.This

diversityofhabitatisalsomatchedbygreatdiversityinsizeandform:atone

extremeistheroyalantelopeofWestAfrica,whichstandsamere25cmatthe

shoulder;attheother,themassivelybuiltbisonsofNorthAmericaandEurope,

growingtoashoulderheightof2.2m.

C.Despitedifferencesinsizeandappearance,bovidsareunitedbythepossessionof

certaincommonfeatures.Allspeciesareruminants,whichmeansthattheyretain

undigestedfoodintheirstomachs,andregurgitateitasnecessary.Bovidsarealmost

exclusivelyherbivorous:nt-eatingincisors:frontteethherbivorous.Typically

theirteetharehighlymodifiedforbrowsingandgrazing:grassorfoliageiscropped

withtheupperlipandlowerincisors**(theupperincisorsareusuallyabsent),and

thengrounddownbythecheekteeth.Aswellashavingcloven,orsplit,hooves,the

maofailbovidspeciesandthefemaofmostcarryhorns.Bovidhornshave

bonycorescoveredinasheathofhornymaterialthatisconstantlyrenewedfrom

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