View source for Bos

{{short description|Genus of wild and domestic cattle}}
{{other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Boss (disambiguation){{!}}Boss}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = Middle Pleistocene–recent
| image = CH cow 2.jpg
| image_alt = "[[Bos taurus]]"
| image_caption = [[Cattle]] (''Bos taurus'')
| image2 = [[File:Mudchute cow 1.ogg]]
| taxon = Bos
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| type_species = ''[[Taurine cattle|Bos taurus]]''<ref>{{cite journal |author1=International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature |title=Opinion 75. Twenty-Seven Generic Names of Protozoa, Vermes, Pisces, Reptilia and Mammalia Included in the Official List of Zoological Names |journal=[[Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections]] |date=1922 |volume=73 |issue=1 |pages=35–37 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8910949}}</ref>
| type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| synonyms = 
| synonyms_ref = 
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See {{slink||Species}}.
}}

'''''Bos''''' (from [[Latin]] ''[[:wikt:bos|bōs]]'': [[cow]], [[ox]], [[bull]])  is a [[genus]] of [[Bovinae|bovines]], which includes, among others, wild and [[Domestication|domestic]] [[cattle]]. 

''Bos'' is often divided into four [[subgenera]]: ''Bos'', ''Bibos'', ''Novibos'', and ''Poephagus'', but including these last three divisions within the genus ''Bos'' without including ''[[Bison]]'' is believed to be [[paraphyletic]] by many workers on the [[Taxonomy (biology)|classification]] of the genus since the 1980s. The genus as traditionally defined has five [[Extant taxon|extant]] species,<ref name=msw3>{{cite book |last=Grubb |first=Peter |date=2005 |chapter=''Bos'' |chapter-url=https://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=14200674 |editor1-last=Wilson |editor1-first=Don E. |editor2-last=Reeder |editor2-first=DeeAnn M. |title=Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference |url=https://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/ |edition=3rd (online edition) |location=Baltimore |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=978-0-8018-8221-0}}</ref> but this rises to eight when the domesticated varieties are counted as separate species, and ten when the closely related ''Bison'' is also included.<ref>Groves, C. P., 1981. Systematic relationships in the Bovini (Artiodactyla, Bovidae). ''Zeitschrift für Zoologische Systematik und Evolutionsforschung'', '''4''':264-278., quoted in Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (editors). 2005. ''Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'' (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press: "Bison". ([https://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=14200668 online edition] )</ref><ref name=Groves2011>Groves, C. P. & Grubb, P. 2011. Ungulate taxonomy. The [[Johns Hopkins University Press]], [[Baltimore, Maryland]].</ref><ref name="WangEtal2018">Wang, K., Lenstra, J. A., Liu, L., Hu, Q., Ma, T., Qiu, Q., & Liu, J. (2018). Incomplete lineage sorting rather than hybridization explains the inconsistent phylogeny of the wisent. [[Communications biology]], 1(1), 1-9.</ref> Most but not all modern breeds of domesticated cattle (including [[taurine cattle]] and [[zebu]]) are believed to have originated from the extinct [[aurochs]].<ref name=vVuure2003>{{cite report |last=van Vuure |first=Cis |date=March 2003 |title=De Oeros – Het spoor terug |url=https://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs/fulltext/169888 |location=[[Wageningen |publisher=Stichting Kritisch Bosbeheer, Sectie Natuurbeheer van Wageningen Universiteit]], Afdeling Natuur van het Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, & Wetenschapswinkel |pages=1–340 |docket=rapport 186 |language=nl |isbn=90-6754-678-X |access-date=4 January 2020}}</ref><ref>Briggs, H.M. and Briggs, D.M. (1980). ''Modern Breeds of Livestock''. [[Macmillan Publishing]]</ref> Others like [[Bali cattle]] and [[gayal]] are thought to have originated from South and Southeast Asian ''Bos'' species.

==Description==

The species are grazers, with large teeth to break up the plant material they ingest.  They are [[ruminant]]s, having a four-chambered stomach that allows them to break down plant material.<ref name=vVuure2003/>

==Distribution==
There are about 1.3 billion domestic cattle alive today, making them one of the world's most numerous mammals. Members of this genus are currently found in Africa, Asia, Europe, parts of North America, South America and also in Oceania. Their habitats vary greatly depending on the particular species; they can be found in prairies, rain forests, wetlands, savannah and temperate forests.

==Ecology==
Most ''Bos'' species have a lifespan of 18–25 years in the wild, with up to 36 being recorded in captivity. They have a 9–11 month [[gestation]], depending on the species and birth one or, rarely, two young in the spring.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/animal/cow]. Huffman, Brent. 2025, April 25. ''Cow.'' Britannica.</ref>

Most species travel in small herds ranging in size from ten to thirty members. Within most herds, there is one [[bull]] (male) for all the [[cow]]s (female). [[Dominance (ethology)|Dominance]] is important in the herds;<ref name=vVuure2003/> calves will usually inherit their mother's position in the [[hierarchy]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}

They are generally [[Diurnal animal|diurnal]], resting in the hot part of the day and being active morning and afternoon. In areas where humans have encroached on the territory of a herd, they may turn [[nocturnal]]. Some species are also migratory, moving with food and water availability.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}

==Taxonomy==
In 2003, the [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]] [[Opinion 2027|resolved a long-standing dispute]] about the naming of those species (or pairs of species) of ''Bos'' that contain both wild and domesticated forms. The commission "conserved the usage of 17 specific names based on wild species, which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic forms", confirming ''Bos primigenius'' for the aurochs and ''Bos gaurus'' for the gaur. If domesticated cattle and gayal are considered separate species, they are to be named ''Bos taurus'' and ''Bos frontalis''; however, if they are considered part of the same species as their wild relatives, the common species are to be named ''Bos primigenius'' and ''Bos gaurus''.<ref>{{cite journal|author=International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature |date=2003 |title=Opinion 2027 (Case 3010). Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia): conserved. |journal=The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature |volume=60 |issue=1|pages=81–84 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34357823}}</ref>

During the 2010s, analysis of the complex genetics of the bovine lineages determined that the genus ''[[Bison]]'' needed to be relegated to a subgenus of ''Bos'' in order to retain monophyly within ''Bos'' since both extant species of ''Bison'' are phylogenetically embedded within ''Bos''.<ref name = WangEtal2018/> The specific relationships in these analyses determined that the two living bison species were each other's closest living relatives, with their closest relatives amongst ''Bos'' being the yaks based on [[nuclear DNA]]. The [[mitochondrial DNA]] for the wisent was found to contradict the nuclear DNA result, and was more closely related to those of cattle, while the mitochondrial DNA of the American bison supported the nuclear DNA result of a close relationship with yaks. The discrepancy between the mitochondrial DNA of the American bison and wisent is suggested to be likely due to [[incomplete lineage sorting]] or genetic [[introgression]] into ''B. bonasus'' from other ''Bos'' species.<ref name="WangEtal2018" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Sinding|first1=Mikkel-Holger S.|last2=Ciucani|first2=Marta M.|last3=Ramos-Madrigal|first3=Jazmín|last4=Carmagnini|first4=Alberto|last5=Rasmussen|first5=Jacob Agerbo|last6=Feng|first6=Shaohong|last7=Chen|first7=Guangji|last8=Vieira|first8=Filipe G.|last9=Mattiangeli|first9=Valeria|last10=Ganjoo|first10=Rajinder K.|last11=Larson|first11=Greger|date=2021-11-19|title=Kouprey (''Bos sauveli'') genomes unveil polytomic origin of wild Asian Bos|journal=[[iScience]]|language=en|volume=24|issue=11|article-number=103226|doi=10.1016/j.isci.2021.103226|pmid=34712923|pmc=8531564|bibcode=2021iSci...24j3226S|issn=2589-0042}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last1=Grange|first1=Thierry|last2=Brugal|first2=Jean-Philip|last3=Flori|first3=Laurence|last4=Gautier|first4=Mathieu|last5=Uzunidis|first5=Antigone|last6=Geigl|first6=Eva-Maria|date=September 2018|title=The Evolution and Population Diversity of Bison in Pleistocene and Holocene Eurasia: Sex Matters|journal=[[Diversity (journal)|Diversity]]|language=en|volume=10|issue=3|page=65|doi=10.3390/d10030065|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018Diver..10...65G }}</ref>

Relationships of members of the genus ''Bos'' based on nuclear genomes after Sinding, et al. 2021.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sinding |first1=M.-H. S. |last2=Ciucani |first2=M. M. |last3=Ramos-Madrigal |first3=J. |last4=Carmagnini |first4=A. |last5=Rasmussen |first5=J. A. |last6=Feng |first6=S. |last7=Chen |first7=G. |last8=Vieira |first8=F. G. |last9=Mattiangeli |first9=V. |last10=Ganjoo |first10=R. K. |last11=Larson |first11=G. |last12=Sicheritz-Pontén |first12=T. |last13=Petersen |first13=B. |last14=Frantz |first14=L. |last15=Gilbert |first15=M. T. P. |date=2021 |title=Kouprey (''Bos sauveli'') genomes unveil polytomic origin of wild Asian Bos |journal=iScience |volume=24 |issue=11 |article-number=103226 |bibcode=2021iSci...24j3226S |doi=10.1016/j.isci.2021.103226 |pmc=8531564 |pmid=34712923}}</ref>

{{clade|{{clade
|1= ''[[Bos primigenius]]'' + ''[[Bos taurus]]'' (aurochs and cattle)
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''[[Bos mutus]]'' (wild yak)
|2={{clade
|1=''[[Bison bison]]'' (American bison)
|2=''[[Bison bonasus]]'' (European bison/wisent)
}}}}
|2={{clade
|1=''[[Bos javanicus]]'' (banteng)
|2=''[[Bos gaurus]]'' (gaur)
|3=''[[Bos sauveli]]'' (kouprey)
}}}}}}|label1=''Bos''}}

===Species===
The following species are known:<ref name=msw3/><ref name=Tunisia>{{cite journal |last1=Martínez-Navarro |first1=Bienvenido |last2=Narjess |first2=Karoui-Yaakoub |last3=Oms |first3=Oriol |last4=Amri |first4=Lamjed |last5=López-García |first5=Juan Manuel |last6=Zerai |first6=Kamel |last7=Blain |first7=Hugues-Alexandre |last8=Mtimet |first8=Moncef-Saïd |last9=Espigares |first9=María-Patrocinio |last10=Ben Haj Ali |first10=Nebiha |last11=Ros-Montoya |first11=Sergio |last12=Boughdiri |first12=Mabrouk |last13=Agustí |first13=Jordi |last14=Khayati-Amma |first14=Hayet |last15=Maalaoui |first15=Kamel |last16=Om El Khir |first16=Maahmoudi |last17=Sala |first17=Robert |last18=Othmani |first18=Abdelhak |last19=Hawas |first19=Ramla |last20=Gómez-Merino |first20=Gala |last21=Solè |first21=Àlex |last22=Carbonell |first22=Eudald |last23=Palmqvist |first23=Paul |date=April 2014 |title=The early Middle Pleistocene archeopaleontological site of Wadi Sarrat (Tunisia) and the earliest record of ''Bos primigenius'' |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260807498 |journal=[[Quaternary Science Reviews]] |volume=90 |pages=37–46 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.02.016 |bibcode=2014QSRv...90...37M |access-date=3 January 2020}}</ref>
* Subgenus ''Bos'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
** ''[[Bos taurus]]'' (domestic cattle)
*** ''[[Bos taurus taurus|B. t. taurus]]'' (Taurine cattle)
*** ''[[Bos taurus africanus|B. t. africanus]]'' (Sanga cattle)
** ''[[Bos indicus]]'' (zebu or indicine cattle)
** †''[[Bos primigenius]]'' (aurochs)
*** †''[[Bos primigenius primigenius|B. p. primigenius]]'' (Eurasian aurochs)
*** †''[[Bos primigenius mauritanicus|B. p. mauritanicus]]'' (North African aurochs)
*** †''[[Bos primigenius namadicus|B. p. namadicus]]'' (Indian aurochs)
** †''[[Bos acutifrons]]''
** †''[[Bos buiaensis]]''
* Subgenus ''Bibos'' {{small|Hodgson, 1837}}
** ''[[Bos gaurus]]'' (gaur or Indian bison)
** ''[[Bos frontalis]]'' (gayal)
** ''[[Bos javanicus]]'' (banteng) 
*** ''[[Bali cattle|B. j. domesticus]]'' (Bali cattle) 
** †''[[Bos palaesondaicus]]''
** †''[[Bos sauveli]]'' (kouprey) (likely extinct, last seen 1969)

* Subgenus ''Poephagus'' {{small|Gray, 1843}}
** ''[[Bos mutus]] '' (wild yak)
** ''[[Bos grunniens]]'' (domestic yak)
** †''[[Bos baikalensis]]''
* Subgenus ''[[Bison]]'' {{small|Hamilton Smith, 1827}}<ref name="WangEtal2018" /> ([[cladistically]] included, traditionally treated as a separate genus)
** ''[[American bison|Bos bison]]'' (American bison)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#genus=Bos&species=bison&id=1006256 | title=''Bos bison'' Linnaeus, 1758 | access-date=2024-01-19 | archive-date=2020-10-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028140029/https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#genus=Bos&species=bison&id=1006256 }}</ref>
*** ''[[Plains bison|B. b. bison]]'' (plains bison)
*** ''[[Wood bison|B. b. athabascae]]'' (wood bison)
** ''[[European bison|Bos bonasus]]'' (wisent or European bison)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#genus=Bos&species=bonasus&id=1006257 | title=''Bos bonasus'' Linnaeus, 1758 | access-date=2024-01-19 | archive-date=2020-10-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028140029/https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#genus=Bos&species=bonasus&id=1006257 }}</ref>
*** ''[[Bison bonasus bonasus|B. b. bonasus]]'' (lowland wisent)
*** †''[[Bison bonasus hungarorum|B. b. hungarorum]]'' (Carpathian wisent)
*** †''[[Bison bonasus caucasicus|B. b. caucasicus]]'' (dombay or Caucasian wisent)
** †''[[Steppe bison|Bos priscus]]'' (Steppe wisent)
** †''[[Bison antiquus|Bos antiquus]]''
** †''[[Bos hanaizumiensis]]''
** †''[[Bison latifrons|Bos latifrons]]''
** †''[[Bos menneri]]''<ref name="Biolib" />
** †''[[Bison occidentalis|Bos occidentalis]]''
** †''[[Bison schoetensacki|Bos schoetensacki]]''
<!-- Subgenus ''Eobison''? -->
** †''[[Bison palaeosinensis|Bos palaeosinensis]]''
** †''[[Bos sivalensis]]''
** †''[[Bos georgicus]]''<ref name="Biolib">Biolib.cz, [https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxontree/id20930/ Genus - Bisons]</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Mammals|Agriculture}}
* [[Bovine genome]]
* [[Sacred bull]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bos}}
* Vasey, George 1862. A monograph of the genus ''Bos''. [https://archive.org/details/amonographofgenu00vaseiala Scan of a historic work]

{{Artiodactyla|R.4}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q237993}}

[[Category:Bos| ]]
[[Category:Bovina (subtribe)]]
[[Category:Domesticated animals]]
[[Category:Mammal genera]]
[[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]