The Fossil Record and Evolution of Bovidae: State of the Field

This paper presents a summary of the current state of knowledge on the evolution and fossil record of Bovidae and identifies topics and problems for further study. The earliest records of the different bovid tribes are reviewed, along with their geographic locations. Future work on the fossil bovid record should focus on: the reinvestigation of osteological characters that might distinguish early bovids from stem taxa; the late Miocene fossil record with respect to the evolutionary origins and biogeography of the living bovid tribes; and improved methodologies for reconstructing bovid phylogeny using morphology. This paper reflects the main themes discussed at the meeting of the Revealing Hominid Origins Initiative Bovid Analytical Working Group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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