Phylogenetic relationships of extant genera of the tribe Bovini (Hassanin et al., 2013)[4]
The majority of phylogenetic work based on ribosomal DNA, chromosomal analysis, autosomal introns and mitochondrial DNA has recovered three distinctive subtribes of Bovini: Pseudorygina (represented solely by the saola), Bubalina, and Bovina (which today are represented by the genera Bison and Bos).[4][5][6][7] One cytogenetic analysis concerning the phylogenetic position on the saola suggests the species could be related to buffalo.[8] This relationship has not, however, been supported by most phylogenetic work concerning Bovini.[4][7][9]
There are currently two recognized extant genera of bubalinans – the African Syncerus and the Asiatic Bubalus.[1][5][9][2] Whilst the majority of molecular and morphological work strongly supports the recognition of these two genera as being sister taxa,[5][10] since 2011 new uncertainty over the number of species that should be recognized has been introduced.[9][2] In the 'traditional' classification given by Peter Grubb in the 2005 third edition of the widely used taxonomic reference work Mammal Species of the World the following six species are recognized,[11] with the African buffalo split into five subspecies[12] based on differences in the horns and skin colouration.[9]
In 2011 Groves and Grubb recognised four of the subspecies of the African buffalo as independent species. These they argued, should be considered as separate species based on the phylogenetic species concept, which states that any population can be recognised as a species if a member is diagnosable as belonging to that population.[9] The African buffalo is noted to exhibit extreme morphological variability, and in the past a number of discrete species or subspecies have been named for specific geographic populations.[13] The bovid biologist Castelló adopted the Groves and Grubb taxonomic interpretation,[2] but others have expressed their concern that this taxonomic proposal needs more additional evidence before being adopted.[14]
Below is the listing of 'new' species recognized by Groves and Grubb (2011)[9] with vernacular names following Castelló (2016) from Bovids of the World:[2] Note other vernacular names have been used by others, and in practice all taxa are simply known as "Cape buffalo".
The fossil record of buffalos is extensive, with fossils found throughout Africa and Eurasia.[3] According to the fossil record and the molecular work, Bubalina and Bovina diverged from one and another from a common ancestor around 13.7 million years ago in the Late Miocene.[1][3][4] The Syncerus lineage and the Bubalus lineage diverged from each other in the Late Miocene, perhaps give or take between 8.2 and 9.1 million years ago.[1][3][4] This divergence corresponds to the time when the ancestor of Syncerus had arrived into Africa from Asia.[3][15]
Below is the list of a number of the described fossil species (listed alphabetically):
Domestic and feral populations have been introduced to Europe, the Americas, and Australia.[2] Feral buffaloes in Australia are water buffalo of two types: river and swamp buffalo, and live in the Top End. Some have been re-domesticated.[18]
^ abcdHassanin, Alexandre; Ropiquet, A. (2004). "Molecular phylogeny of the tribe Bovini (Bovidae, Bovinae) and the taxonomic status of the Kouprey, Bos sauveli Urbain 1937". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 33 (3): 896–907. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.08.009. PMID15522811.[dead link]
^ abcdefCastelló, J.R. (2016). Bovids of the Word. Princeton University Press.
^ abcdeHassanin, Alexandre (January 2014). "Systematic and evolution of Bovini". In Melletti, D.R.; Burton, J. (eds.). Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour of Wild Cattle: Implications for Conservation. Cambridge University Press. pp. 7–21.
^ abcdeHassanin, A.; An, J.; Ropiquet, A.; Nguyen, T.T.; Couloux, A. (2013). "Combining multiple autosomal introns for studying shallow phylogeny and taxonomy of Laurasiatherian mammals: Application to the tribe Bovini (Cetartiodactyla, Bovidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 63 (3): 766–775. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.11.003. PMID23159894.
^ abcTanaka, K.; Solis, C.D.; Masangkay, J.S.; Maeda, K.L.; Kawamoto, Y.; Namikawa, T. (1996). "Phylogenetic relationship among all living species of the genus Bubalus based on DNA sequences of the cytochrome b gene". Biochemical Genetics. 34 (11): 443–452. doi:10.1007/BF00570125. PMID9126673. S2CID22075565.
^Haile-Selassie, Yohannes; Vrba, Elizabeth S.; Bibi, Faysal (2009). "Bovidae". In Haile-Selassie, Yohannes; WoldeGabriel, Giday (eds.). Ardipithecus Kadabba: Late Miocene Evidence from the Middle Awash, Ethiopia. University of California Press. pp. 295–. ISBN978-0-520-25440-4.
^Bienvenido Martínez-Navarro, Juan Antonio Pérez-Claros, Maria Rita Palombo, Lorenzo Rook, and Paul Palmqvist: The Olduvai buffalo Pelorovis and the origin of Bos. Quaternary Research Volume 68, Issue 2, September 2007, Pages 220-226. online
