**Kvegfamilien** (Bovidae), også kalt **slirehorndyrfamilien**, **oksefamilien** og **bovider** med mer, er en stor familie av klovdyr (Ruminantia) som tilhører ordenen klovdyr (Artiodactyla). Alle artene i kvegfamilien bærer horn. Familien inkluderer blant annet villkveg, bøfler, bisoner, antiloper, gaseller, sauer og geiter og deres nærmeste slektninger. Kvegdyrenes nærmeste slektninger er moskushjortene (Moschidae), som er ei søstergruppe.

Taksonomi
---------

Gaur (*Bos gaurus*)
Kvegfamilien er den største og mest varierte gruppen blant hovdyrene, og den evolusjonære historien er tilsvarende variert. Evolusjonshistorien preges av adaptive radieringer, globale migreringer og masseutryddelser. Det finnes cirka 145 nålevende arter, men til nå har vitenskapen også avdekket mer enn 300 utdødde arter og aner til de som fortsatt eksisterer. Blant disse dyrene finner man også opphavet til de fleste av verdens økonomisk viktige domestiserte arter, som tamsau og tamkveg. Allikevel er kunnskapen om de tidligste kvegdyra ganske begrenset. Selv forfedrene til våre mest kjente domestiserte arter er svært lite kjent og ofte omdiskuterte.

Kvegdyrene oppsto i Eurasia og linjen skilte lag med hjortedyrene og sjiraffdyrene på grensen mellom oligocen og miocen, for sånn cirka 23 millioner år siden. Årsaken var trolig utviklingen av et mer avansert drøvtyggende fordøyelsessystem, som tillot disse artene å utnytte en annen type vegetasjon. Mens hjortedyrene tilpasset seg et kaldere klima og trakk nordover, ble kvegdyra mer tilpasset et varmere klima. Det første senere til migrering til Afrika. I tidlig miocen delte imidlertid kvegfamilien seg i to underfamilier; Antilopinae og Bovinae. Splittelsen skyltes en lang periode med kontinental separasjon, der Antilopinae oppsto fra asiatiske arter som migrerte til Afrika og tilpasset seg et tørrere klima. Senere returnerte imidlertid noen Antilopinae til Asia, der de ga opphav til tribuset Caprini. Fossile beviser antyder at Bovinae må ha en sørasiatisk opprinnelse, fra hvor gruppen senere radierte ut til de tre tribusene Boselaphini, Bovini og Tragelaphini.

Beskrivelse
-----------

Kongeantilopen er verdens minste bovid. Den veier normalt kun 1,5–3 kg.  (*Neotragus pygmaeus*)
Alle hanndyr i denne familien bærer horn og medlemmene er planteetere med fire mager; løypemagen, som er den egentlige magen, og tre formager: vomma, nettmagen og bladmagen. Dette gjør at artene kan fordøye føde som er for næringsfattig for mange andre dyr, primært arter i grasfamilien. Ingen dyr er i stand til å fordøye cellulose direkte; på samme måte som (for eksempel) kenguruer og termitter, må altså artene i kvegfamilien lite på bakterier i magen, som bryter ned cellulosen ved gjæring.

På grunn av størrelsen og vekten på det komplekse fordøyelsessystemet, har mange av artene en solid, stutt kroppsbygning; de mer grasiøse medlemmene av familien pleier å være mer selektive i matveien.

Noe av det som karakteriserer denne familien er tilstedeværelsen av to (noen arter har fire) uforgrenede horn i skallen. Horna vokser gjennom hele livet. Alle hanner i familien bærer horn, men nødvendigvis ikke alle hunner. Hos arter der begge kjønn bærer horn er hannens alltid mer komplekse, større og kraftigere. Horna er permanent festet til frontalbeinet i skallen og består av en kjerne av beinstoff dekket av et lag med keratin, som aldri felles. Et lite luftlag skiller de to lagene fra hverandre. Størrelsen og formen på hornene varierer kolossalt, men horna vokser ofte i et spiralmønster, spiralform og bender og bøyer.

De største oksedyrene kan veie langt mer enn ett tonn og ha en skulderhøyde godt over to meter, for eksempel indisk gaurkveg (*Bos gaurus*). De minste kan veie mindre enn to kilo og er på størrelse med en tamkatt, for eksempel den afrikanske kongeantilopen (*Neotragus pygmaeus*). Noen er kraftige og muskuløse, andre lettbygd med små kropper og lange bein. Mange arter trekker sammen i store grupper med komplekse sosiale strukturer, mens andre stort sett holder seg for seg selv.

Kvegdyrene er stort sett flokkdyr som har tilpasset seg mange ulike habitater, fra ørken til tundra og skog til snaufjell.

Inndeling
---------

Inndelingen av kvegfamilien følger i hovedsak en studie publisert av Faysal Bibi (2013) i *BMC Evolutionary Biology*. Inndelingen støttes også i det alt vesentlige av Castelló (2016). Den gir et helt nytt bilde av denne familien, samt noen svar forskningen fram til nå ikke har kunnet besvare. Studien deler kvegfamilien inn i kun to underfamilier; Antilopinae og Bovinae. Bovinae deles videre inn i tre tribus, mens Antilopinae deles inn i ni. Studien viser også at Moschidae (moskushjorter) er søstergruppen til Bovidae. 

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| Bovidae  | 

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|  Bovinae  | 

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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  Boselaphini  | 

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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Boselaphus* |
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|  |  *Tetracerus* |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  Tragelaphini  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Ammelaphus* |
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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Nyala* |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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|  |  *Strepsiceros* |
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|  |  *Taurotragus* |
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|  |  *Tragelaphus* |
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|  Bovini  | 

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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Pseudoryx* |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Syncerus* |
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|  |  *Bubalus* |
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|  |  *Bos* (inkludert *Bison*) |
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|  Antilopinae  | 

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  Aepycerotini  |  *Aepyceros* |
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|  Neotragini  |  *Nesotragus* |
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|  | 

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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 

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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  Hippotragini  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Hippotragus* |
|  |
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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Addax* |
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|  |  *Oryx* |
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|  Alcelaphini  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Damaliscus* |
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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Alcelaphus* |
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|  |  *Connochaetes* |
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|  Caprini  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Pantholops* |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 

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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Ovibos* |
|  |
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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Capricornis* |
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|  |  *Nemorhaedus* |
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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Nilgiritragus* |
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|  |  *Ovis* |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 

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| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| --- | --- |
|  |  *Arabitragus* |
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|  |  *Ammotragus* |
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|  |  *Rupicapra* |
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|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Oreamnos* |
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|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Budorcas* |
|  |
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|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Pseudois* |
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|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Capra* |
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|  |  *Hemitragus* |
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|  Reduncini  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Pelea* |
|  |
|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Redunca* |
|  |
|  |  *Kobus* |
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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  Neotragini  |  *Neotragus* |
|  |
|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  Oreotragini  |  *Oreotragus* |
|  |
|  Cephalophini  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Philantomba* |
|  |
|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Sylvicapra* |
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|  |  *Cephalophus* |
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|  Antilopini  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Procapra* |
|  |
|  | 

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Raphicerus* |
|  |
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|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Dorcatragus* |
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|  |  *Madoqua* |
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|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Ourebia* |
|  |
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|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Saiga* |
|  |
|  | 

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Antidorcas* |
|  |
|  |  *Litocranius* |
|  |

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|  |
|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Antilope* |
|  |
|  | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Gazella* |
|  |
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|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  *Eudorcas* |
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|  |  *Nanger* |
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### Tidligere inndeling

Det har lenge vært knyttet stor usikkerhet til inndelingen av Bovidae. Hernandez-Fernandez og Vrba (2005) delte familien inn i åtte underfamilier, men dette var trolig feil eller unyansert.

**Treliste**
* Bovidae, kvegfamilien
	+ Bovinae, oksedyr
	+ Antilopinae, antiloper og gaseller
	+ Cephalophinae, duikere
	+ Reduncinae, vann- og rørbukker
	+ Aepycerotinae, impala
	+ Caprinae, sauer og geiter
	+ Alcelaphinae, kuantiloper
	+ Hippotraginae, hesteantiloper

Litteratur
----------

* Castelló, José R. Princeton Field Guides – *Bovids of the World: antelopes, gazelles, cattle, goats, sheep, and relatives*. 664 pages. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford 2016. ISBN 978-0-691-16717-6

Referanser
----------

1. 1 2  Kvegfamilien Bovidae Gray, 1821. Artsdatabanken. Besøkt 2017-01-04
2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11  José R. Castelló (2016) Princeton Field Guides – *Bovids of the World: antelopes, gazelles, cattle, goats, sheep, and relatives* (Vol 104). 664 pages. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford 2016. ISBN 978-0-691-16717-6
3. ↑  Faysal Bibi. 2013. A multi-calibrated mitochondrial phylogeny of extant Bovidae (Artiodactyla, Ruminantia) and the importance of the fossil record to systematics. *BMC Evolutionary Biology* 2013, **13**:166. DOI:10.1186/1471-2148-13-166. Besøkt 2014-02-28
4. ↑  Hernandez-Fernandez, M. and E. S. Vrba. 2005. A complete estimate of the phylogenetic relationships in Ruminantia: a dated species-level supertree of the extant ruminants. *Biological Review*; **80**: 269-302.

Eksterne lenker
---------------

* (en) *kvegfamilien* – oversikt og omtale av artene i WORMS-databasen Rediger på Wikidata

* (en) *kvegfamilien* i Encyclopedia of Life Rediger på Wikidata

* (en) *kvegfamilien* i Global Biodiversity Information Facility Rediger på Wikidata

* (no) *kvegfamilien* hos Artsdatabanken Rediger på Wikidata

* (sv) *kvegfamilien* hos Dyntaxa Rediger på Wikidata

* (en) *kvegfamilien* hos Fauna Europaea Rediger på Wikidata

* (en) *kvegfamilien* hos Fossilworks Rediger på Wikidata

* (en) *kvegfamilien* hos ITIS Rediger på Wikidata

* (en) *kvegfamilien* hos NCBI Rediger på Wikidata

* (en) *Kategori:Bovidae* – bilder, video eller lyd på Wikimedia Commons Rediger på Wikidata

* *Bovidae* – detaljert informasjon på Wikispecies Rediger på Wikidata

  


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| Oppslagsverk/autoritetsdata | Store Danske Encyklopædi **·** Encyclopædia Britannica **·** GND **·** LCCN **·** BNF **·** BNF (data) **·** NKC **·** BNE
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