Caprinae

Caprinae
Joe n bloe (talk) Joseph N Hall · Public domain · source
Name	Caprinae
Taxon	Subfamily
Subdivision ranks	Tribes and genera

Caprinae is a subfamily of ruminant mammals within the order Artiodactyla known for wild and domestic species adapted to rugged and montane environments. Members include sheep, goats, and allied taxa with widespread cultural, economic, and ecological importance across Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas. Numerous species have been subjects of research, conservation programs, and domestication efforts involving institutions and historical figures.

Taxonomy and classification

The subfamily has been treated in varying schemes by authorities such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Royal Society, and taxonomists working with collections from the British Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Museum of Natural History, Paris. Traditional classifications placed genera like Ovis, Capra, and Hemitragus within tribes referenced in monographs by researchers affiliated with University of Oxford, Harvard University, and the University of Cambridge. Molecular phylogenies using data from teams at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Sanger Institute have revised relationships among taxa, resolving paraphyly issues discussed at conferences such as the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution and published in journals like Nature and Science.

Evolution and fossil record

Fossil remains attributed to related lineages have been excavated at sites associated with the Pleistocene Park concept, digs led by paleontologists from the University of California, Berkeley, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Natural History Museum, London. Important fossil taxa were described in works presented at the International Paleontological Congress and cataloged in databases maintained by the Smithsonian Institution. Molecular clock estimates calibrated with fossils from formations near Siwalik Hills, the Great Rift Valley, and the Tethys Sea region informed hypotheses by researchers at Princeton University and ETH Zurich published in outlets like Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Morphology and physiology

Members exhibit cranial and dental characteristics detailed in comparative studies from the Royal Society of London and measurement series from the Natural History Museum, Vienna. Horn morphology and sexual dimorphism have been analyzed in the context of behavioral ecology by teams at the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh, with endocrinological work conducted in labs at Johns Hopkins University and the Karolinska Institute. Studies of locomotion on alpine terrain reference fieldwork in the Alps, the Himalayas, and the Rocky Mountains, often coordinated with national parks such as Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

Behavior and social structure

Social systems and mating strategies have been the focus of field studies at research stations affiliated with University of Oxford, University of California, Davis, and University of Zurich, and discussed at meetings of the International Primatological Society and the Animal Behavior Society. Dominance hierarchies and herd dynamics reported in long-term studies at sites like Wolong Nature Reserve and Dartmoor have informed conservation management by agencies including United Nations Environment Programme and World Wildlife Fund personnel. Research collaborations involving the Smithsonian Institution and universities such as Cornell University have examined reproductive seasonality, parental investment, and responses to predators like Canis lupus, Panthera pardus, and Aquila chrysaetos.

Distribution and habitat

Species occur across biogeographic regions documented by organizations such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and national agencies like Environment Canada and the Ministry of Environment, Japan. Habitats range from montane zones in the Himalayas and the Caucasus to steppe regions near the Gobi Desert, alpine areas of the Alps, and insular locales like the Shetland Islands. Range shifts driven by climate patterns observed in studies from IPCC reports have been monitored by researchers at Columbia University and University of British Columbia.

Diet and foraging

Foraging ecology has been modeled using data from fieldwork in the Mongolian Plateau, the Tibetan Plateau, and grazing studies coordinated with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Nutritional physiology and rumen microbiome analyses have been undertaken at institutions including Wageningen University, University of Sydney, and McGill University, with findings appearing in journals such as Journal of Animal Science and Nature Communications. Interactions with plant communities recorded in studies by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden influence management practices promoted by agencies like United States Department of Agriculture.

Conservation and human interactions

Conservation status assessments are regularly published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and implemented through programs by NGOs like World Wildlife Fund, Fauna & Flora International, and government bodies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ministry of Environment, Saudi Arabia. Historic and contemporary domestication, selective breeding, and husbandry have involved cultures and institutions including the Neolithic Revolution archaeobotanical studies, the Agricultural Revolution (18th century), and breeding programs at agricultural colleges like Iowa State University and University of Wageningen. Human-wildlife conflict, trophy hunting regulations, and rewilding proposals have been debated at fora such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the IUCN World Conservation Congress, and meetings hosted by the World Conservation Union.

Category:Mammals