Species Of Bovidae Research Articles

Identification of sialyl oligosaccharides including an oligosaccharide nucleotide in colostrum of an addax (Addax nasomaculatus) (Subfamily Antelopinae)

Mammalian milk/colostrum usually contains milk oligosaccharides along with the predominant lactose. Although milk oligosaccharides of a variety of Bovidae species including cow, sheep and goat have been characterized, those of the addax, an Antelopinae species of the Bovidae, have not as yet been clarified. In this study, several sialyl oligosaccharides were purified from a sample of addax colostrum and characterized as follows: Neu5Ac(α2-8)Neu5Ac(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc, Neu5Gc(α2-8)Neu5Gc(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc, Neu5Ac(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc, Neu5Ac(α2-6)Gal(β1-4)GlcNAc, Neu5Gc(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc, Neu5Gc(α2-6)Gal(β1-4)Glc, Neu5Gc(α2-6)Gal(β1-4)GlcNAc. In addition, an oligosaccharide nucleotide Neu5Gc(α2-6)Gal(β1-4)GlcNAcα1-UDP was characterized. Molecular species of a variety of sialyl oligosaccharides found in milk and colostrum of these Bovidae were compared.

Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation(EU) No2016/429): bluetongue.

A specific concept of strain was developed in order to classify the BTV serotypes ever reported in Europe based on their properties of animal health impact: the genotype, morbidity, mortality, speed of spread, period and geographical area of occurrence were considered as classification parameters. According to this methodology the strain groups identified were (i) the BTV strains belonging to serotypes BTV‐1–24, (ii) some strains of serotypes BTV‐16 and (iii) small ruminant‐adapted strains belonging to serotypes BTV‐25, ‐27, ‐30. Those strain groups were assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7, Article 5 on the eligibility of bluetongue to be listed, Article 9 for the categorisation according to disease prevention and control rules as in Annex IV and Article 8 on the list of animal species related to bluetongue. The assessment has been performed following a methodology composed of information collection, expert judgement at individual and collective level. The output is composed of the categorical answer, and for the questions where no consensus was reached, the different supporting views are reported. The strain group BTV (1–24) can be considered eligible to be listed for Union intervention as laid down in Article 5(3) of the AHL, while the strain group BTV‐25–30 and BTV‐16 cannot. The strain group BTV‐1–24 meets the criteria as in Sections 2 and 5 of Annex IV of the AHL, for the application of the disease prevention and control rules referred to in points (b) and (e) of Article 9(1) of the AHL. The animal species that can be considered to be listed for BTV‐1–24 according to Article 8(3) are several species of Bovidae, Cervidae and Camelidae as susceptible species; domestic cattle, sheep and red deer as reservoir hosts, midges insect of genus Culicoides spp. as vector species.

Wetlands, wild Bovidae species richness and sheep density delineate risk of Rift Valley fever outbreaks in the African continent and Arabian Peninsula.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an emerging, vector-borne viral zoonosis that has significantly impacted public health, livestock health and production, and food security over the last three decades across large regions of the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. The potential for expansion of RVF outbreaks within and beyond the range of previous occurrence is unknown. Despite many large national and international epidemics, the landscape epidemiology of RVF remains obscure, particularly with respect to the ecological roles of wildlife reservoirs and surface water features. The current investigation modeled RVF risk throughout Africa and the Arabian Peninsula as a function of a suite of biotic and abiotic landscape features using machine learning methods. Intermittent wetland, wild Bovidae species richness and sheep density were associated with increased landscape suitability to RVF outbreaks. These results suggest the role of wildlife hosts and distinct hydrogeographic landscapes in RVF virus circulation and subsequent outbreaks may be underestimated. These results await validation by studies employing a deeper, field-based interrogation of potential wildlife hosts within high risk taxa.

Genome-Wide Survey and Analysis of Microsatellite Sequences in Bovid Species.

Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) have become the most popular source of genetic markers, which are ubiquitously distributed in many eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes. This is the first study examining and comparing SSRs in completely sequenced genomes of the Bovidae. We analyzed and compared the number of SSRs, relative abundance, relative density, guanine-cytosine (GC) content and proportion of SSRs in six taxonomically different bovid species: Bos taurus, Bubalus bubalis, Bos mutus, Ovis aries, Capra hircus, and Pantholops hodgsonii. Our analysis revealed that, based on our search criteria, the total number of perfect SSRs found ranged from 663,079 to 806,907 and covered from 0.44% to 0.48% of the bovid genomes. Relative abundance and density of SSRs in these Bovinae genomes were non-significantly correlated with genome size (Pearson, r < 0.420, p > 0.05). Perfect mononucleotide SSRs were the most abundant, followed by the pattern: perfect di- > tri- > penta- > tetra- > hexanucleotide SSRs. Generally, the number of SSRs, relative abundance, and relative density of SSRs decreased as the motif repeat length increased in each species of Bovidae. The most GC-content was in trinucleotide SSRs and the least was in the mononucleotide SSRs in the six bovid genomes. The GC-contents of tri- and pentanucleotide SSRs showed a great deal of similarity among different chromosomes of B. taurus, O. aries, and C. hircus. SSR number of all chromosomes in the B. taurus, O.aries, and C. hircus is closely positively correlated with chromosome sequence size (Pearson, r > 0.980, p < 0.01) and significantly negatively correlated with GC-content (Pearson, r < -0.638, p < 0.01). Relative abundance and density of SSRs in all chromosomes of the three species were significantly negatively correlated with GC-content (Pearson, r < -0.333, P < 0.05) but not significantly correlated with chromosome sequence size (Pearson, r < -0.185, P > 0.05). Relative abundances of the same nucleotide SSR type showed great similarity among different chromosomes of B. taurus, O. aries, and C. hircus.

Effect of species-specific differences in chromosome morphology on chromatin compaction and the frequency and distribution of RAD51 and MLH1 foci in two bovid species: cattle (Bos taurus) and the common eland (Taurotragus oryx).

Meiotic recombination between homologous chromosomes is crucial for their correct segregation into gametes and for generating diversity. We compared the frequency and distribution of MLH1 foci and RAD51 foci, synaptonemal complex (SC) length and DNA loop size in two related Bovidae species that share chromosome arm homology but show an extreme difference in their diploid chromosome number: cattle (Bos taurus, 2n = 60) and the common eland (Taurotragus oryx, 2nmale = 31). Compared to cattle, significantly fewer MLH1 foci per cell were observed in the common eland, which can be attributed to the lower number of initial double-strand breaks (DSBs) detected as RAD51 foci in leptonema. Despite the significantly shorter total autosomal SC length and longer DNA loop size of the common eland bi-armed chromosomes compared to those of bovine acrocentrics, the overall crossover density in the common eland was still lower than in cattle, probably due to the reduction in the number of MLH1 foci in the proximal regions of the bi-armed chromosomes. The formation of centric fusions during karyotype evolution of the common eland accompanied by meiotic chromatin compaction has greater implications in the reduction in the number of DSBs in leptonema than in the decrease of MLH1 foci number in pachynema.

野牦牛线粒体基因组序列测定及其系统进化研究

野牦牛属高寒地区的特有物种,是我国最珍贵的野生动物遗传资源之一,已被列为国家一级重点保护动物。对野牦牛mtDNA进行全序列测定和结构分析,并基于线粒体基因组序列对其系统发生进行了探讨。结果表明:(1)野牦牛线粒体基因组全序列的大小为16 322 bp,整个基因组由37个编码基因和D-loop区组成;22个tRNA基因序列长度为1 524 bp、2个RNA基因序列长度为2 528 bp、13个编码蛋白基因序列长度为11420 bp、D-loop区长度为892 bp。基因组中无间隔序列,基因间排列紧密,基因内无内含子。(2)野牦牛具有较丰富的遗传多样性。(3)分子系统发生关系显示牦牛为牛亚科中的一个独立属,即牦牛属(Poephagus),牦牛属包括家牦牛(Poephagus grunniens)和野牦牛(Poephagus mutus)2个种。野牦牛线粒体基因组全序列的获得和结构解析对研究牦牛的起源、演化和分类,以及野牦牛遗传资源的保护、开发和利用均具有重要的理论和实际意义。

English

The aim of the study was to illustrate the radio-receptor assay of beetal recombinant caprine growth hormone (rcGH). Tracer ( 125 I-rcGH) was prepared by iodinating beetal rcGH with iodine-125 and its biological activity was analyzed by rabbit anti-rcGH antibodies. Liver microsomal membranes of the Bovidae species (caprine, ovine and bovine) were prepared to study the binding properties of beetal rcGH. The tracer binding was dependent on receptor protein concentration, tracer counts, temperature, time of incubation and assay pH. The maximum percentage specific binding of the tracer to the microsomal membrane was 45% in 32 h at 4°C. In cross-reactive study, human GH competed and displaced the 125 I-rcGH by binding effectively to the cGH receptor. Scatchard analysis of the rcGH binding suggested a single class of binding site to the caprine microsomal membrane with an affinity of 337.1 ± 82.94 × 10 9 M -1 and capacity of 57.61 ± 4.23 fmol mg -1 while rcGH binding affinity and capacity to the ovine and bovine receptor protein showed 365.4 ± 66.82 × 10 9 M -1 , 57.69 ± 3.23 (fmol mg -1 ) and 392.6 ± 56.25 × 10 9 M -1 , 56.8 ± 2.56 (fmol mg -1 ) respectively. This study provides data for beetal rcGH interaction with microsomal membrane that shall be beneficial to study hormone receptor interactions of other Bovidae species. Keywords: Beetal recombinant caprine growth hormone, Bovidae, iodine-125, microsomal membrane, receptor protein African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol 13(30) 3081-3091

Nucleotide sequence and polymorphism ofMHCclassIIDQBexon 2 alleles inChinese yakow (Bos grunniens × Bos taurus)

The objective of this study is to describe the gene characteristics of the bovine lymphocyte antigen (BoLA)-DQB exon 2 locus in Chinese yakow (Bos grunniens × Bos taurus) and to compare it with previously reported patterns in other bovidae species to investigate genetic factors for disease resistance. The exon 2 of the MHC class II DQB gene was cloned and sequenced. It was revealed by sequence analyses that there are 36 DQB exon 2 alleles among 44 Chinese yakow. These alleles exhibited a high degree of nucleotide and amino acid polymorphism with most amino acid variations occurring at positions forming the peptide-binding sites (PBS). The DQB loci were analysed for patterns of synonymous (dS ) and nonsynonymous (dN ) substitution. The Chinese yakow was observed to be under strong positive selection in the DQB exon 2 peptide-binding sites (dN = 0.147, P < 0.01). It appears that this variability among Chinese yakow confers the ability to mount immune responses to a wide variety of peptides or pathogens.

The parasitic fauna of the European bison (Bison bonasus) (Linnaeus, 1758) and their impact on the conservation. Part 2. The structure and changes over time.

During the last century the recorded parasite fauna of Bison bonasus includes 88 species. These are 22 species of protozoa, 4 trematode species, 4 cestode species, 43 nematode species, 7 mites, 4 Ixodidae ticks, 1 Mallophaga species, 1 Anoplura, and 2 Hippoboscidae flies. There are few monoxenous parasites, the majority of parasites are typical for other Bovidae and Cervidae species and many are newly acquired from Cervidae. This is an evident increased trend in the parasite species richness, in both the prevalence and intensity of infections, which is associated with the bison population size, host status (captive breeding or free-ranging) and the possibility of contact with other ruminant species. In light of the changes to parasite species richness during the last decades, special emphasis shall be given to new parasite species reported in European bison, their pathogenicity and potential implications for conservation.

Phylogenetic analyses and improved resolution of the family Bovidae based on complete mitochondrial genomes

Efforts have been made to investigate the phylogeny of the family Bovidae; however, the relationships within this group still remain controversial. To further our understanding of the relationships, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the Himalayan goral, Naemorhedus goral, an IUCN Redlist near threatened conservation dependent species. Then we conducted molecular phylogenetic relationships of the Bovidae based on Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood methods. The results indicate that the basal divergence within the Bovidae is between the Bovinae and a strongly supported clade of the remaining Bovidae species. The two Neotragus species (the suni and pygmy antelope) clustered with the impala, Aepyceros melampus (Aepycerotinae), and together they formed the most basal of the non-Bovinae. All the genera of the Antilopinae clustered together except Neotragus, which suggested that the Antilopinae was a paraphyletic subfamily. The present study confirmed a close relationship between the genera Capricornis and Naemorhedus while supporting their designation as separate genera and suggested that the Capricornis-Naemorhedus-Ovibos clade (serows, gorals, and the muskox) should be placed in the Caprinae. Bison, Bos, and Tragelaphus (bison & cattle and kudus and nyalas) were paraphyletic. The very close relationship between Bison and Bos suggested that Bos and Bison should be integrated into a single Bos genus. Saiga and Pantholops (the Chiru or Tibetan Antelope), unique genera which have sometimes been lumped together, were placed in different groups: Saiga within the Antilopinae and Pantholops at the base of the Caprinae. Our results also supported a new taxonomy which places the three species of Hemitragus into three monospecific genera: the genus Hemitragus is restricted to the Himalayan tahr, and two new genera are created: Arabitragus for the Arabian tahr and Nilgiritragus for the Nilgiri tahr.

Genetic characterization of banteng (Bos javanicus) in Lam Pao Wildlife Conservation Development and Promotion Station, Kalasin Province

We analyzed the mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences of bantengs (Bos javanicus) domesticated in Lam Pao Wildlife Conservation Development and Promotion Station, Kalasin Province, which were donated by the Indonesian government. A total of 373 nucleotide and 117 amino acid positions of the Cyb gene were sequenced and compared among the banteng isolates as well as other species of Bovidae. The bantengs domesticated in Kalasin showed 100% identity with the Indonesian bantengs and were more closely clustered with the gaur, Bos gaurus and Bos frontalis instead of a clade of Thai and Cambodian bantengs. Thus, the Kalasin banteng represent a pure strain of B. javanicus, Indonesian banteng.

Isolation and Characterization of Cross-Amplification Microsatellite Panels for Species of Procapra (Bovidae; Antilopinae)

The three Procapra species, Tibetan gazelle (P. picticaudata), Mongolian gazelle (P. gutturosa) and Przewalski’s gazelle (P. przewalskii) are endemic to Asia. Several intraspecific genetic issues have been studied with species-specific microsatellite loci in these Asian gazelles. However, cross-species microsatellite panels are absent, which inhibits comparative conservation and evolutionary studies of the Procapra. In this study, we isolated 20 cross-species microsatellite loci for Procapra from both related species and the genomic library of P. przewalskii. Fifty-three samples of the three gazelles were used to characterize the markers. Allele numbers ranged from three to 20, with a mean of 7.93 per locus. Observed heterozygosity (HO) averaged 0.680 and expected heterozygosity (HE) 0.767. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.757 for P. picticaudata, 0.803 for P. gutturosa and 0.590 for P. przewalskii. Nine loci were significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg (H-W) equilibrium in the three species. Significant linkage disequilibrium was detected in four pairs of loci in P. przewalskii, five pairs in P. gutturosa and 51 pairs in P. picticaudata. Considering the abundance of published loci and their high success rates of cross-amplification, testing and utilization of loci from related species is efficient for wild species of Bovidae. The cross-species microsatellite loci we developed will facilitate further interspecies genetic studies in Procapra.

Examination of Hemiplasy, Homoplasy and Phylogenetic Discordance in Chromosomal Evolution of the Bovidae

Robertsonian chromosomal fusions predominate in shaping the genomes of many species of Bovidae. These and other cytogenetic data (from 52 taxa representing 51 species and 9 tribes of Bovidae) were (i) examined for usefulness in defining phylogenetic relationships and (ii) subsequently mapped to a consensus tree based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA gene sequences with divergence dates of the corresponding species calculated from cytochrome b sequences. This permitted persistence time estimates for the various rearrangements. The chromosomal data resulted in an unsupported higher-level topology, but with recognition of the monophyly of some genera and tribes within Bovidae. The distribution and temporal spread of character states on the species tree is suggestive of a restricted role for hemiplasy (the retention of an ancestral chromosomal polymorphism through multiple speciation events) and for introgression (resulting from secondary contact among taxa), processes that can potentially lead to phylogenetic discordance. We conclude that the most probable interpretation for these data is that genuine karyotypic homoplasy predominates, but that hemiplasy (and/or introgression) is a realistic hypothesis for the observed patterns of several shared characters in Bovidae.

Species identification of Tanzanian antelopes using DNA barcoding

Efficient tools for consistent species identification are important in wildlife conservation as it can provide information on the levels of species exploitation and assist in solving forensic-related problems. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode in species identification of Tanzanian antelope species. A 470 base-pair region of the COI gene was examined in 95 specimens representing 20 species of antelopes, buffalo and domestic Bovidae. All the Tanzanian species showed unique clades, and sequence divergence within species was <1%, whereas divergence between species ranged from 6.3% to 22%. Lowest interspecific divergence was noted within the Tragelaphus genus. Neighbour-joining phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the examined COI region provided correct and highly supported species clustering using short fragments down to 100 base-pair lengths. This study demonstrates that even short COI fragments can efficiently identify antelope species, thus demonstrating its high potential for use in wildlife conservation activities.

DNA barcoding of 18 species of Bovidae

Genetic divergences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I genes, known as DNA barcodes, have been used in species identification in the animal kingdom. Barcodes can assist field workers and taxonomists to determine groups in need of taxa analysis, and facilitate the recognition of appropriate populations and scales for conservation planning. In this study, 18 species of Bovidae were selected to evaluate the effectiveness of DNA barcoding for species differentiation. The results showed that all but 2 species had unique DNA barcodes. The mean intraspecific variation was 0.63%, yielding a threshold of 6.3% for flagging putative species. The results supported the inference that barcode variation within species of mammals is somewhat higher than within other animal groups. The present study validated the effectiveness of barcoding for the identification of bovid species.

Blood-Gas and Acid–Base Parameters in Nontranquilized Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the United Arab Emirates

Arterial and venous blood-gas and acid-base values were established from a herd (n = 19; 14 male, 5 female) of semi-free-ranging Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the United Arab Emirates. The animals were restrained with the use of a modified raceway incorporating a commercially available handling crate. Statistically significant differences were found between arterial and venous values for PO2 (p < 0.001), PCO2 (p = 0.0141), SO2 (p < 0.001), pH (p = 0.0494), and glucose (p < 0.0001). The results are similar to those reported for the same species under field anesthetic conditions, and to those reported from other species of wild bovidae, both tranquilized and nontranquilized, established under similar methods of restraint. In addition, Bland and Altman plots suggest adequate levels of clinical agreement between venous and arterial pH but not between arterial and venous PCO2.

Assyrian Royal Hunts: Antlered and Horned Animals from Distant Lands

Assyrian royal texts disclose the rich variety of wildlife encountered in distant landscapes during military campaigns. The royal hunts of wild animals are illustrated in the visual arts of Assyria, which include species of Cervidae and Bovidae. Singled out are the deer (fallow deer, red deer), wild mountain goat (ibex, Kuban tur), and gazelle. These non-aggressive herbivores, represented in different contexts and media of ancient Near Eastern art and especially Assyria, are studied individually. Neo-Assyrian art provides evidence that species of deer, mountain goat, and gazelle were hunted in the wild; kept in herds for royal sporting events; and subjected to cultic practices. On occasion their images had political meaning as symbols of distant lands.

Ruminants (Mammalia, Artiodactyla : Tragulidae, Cervidae, Bovidae) des gisements du Miocène supérieur (Turolien) de Dytiko (Grèce)

The fossil vertebrate bearing localities of Dytiko (Dytiko 1 = DTK, Dytiko 2 = DIT and Dytiko 3 = DKO) on the right bank of the lower valley of Axios river (Macedonia, Greece) were dated to the end of the late Miocene (Turolian, MN 13). The fauna was partially described in several publications. Ruminants are a large part in this fauna and their study is completed here by the descriptions of original specimens among which there is a new species of Bovidae, Dytikodorcas longicornis n. g., n. sp. There is only two species of giraffids, Bohlinia attica and Palaeotragus rouenii, the first one was inhabitant of the Greco-Iranian faunal province, as were the bovids Palaeoreas and Protragelaphus. Among the Bovidae, Boselaphini are present through the two genera Dystychoceras and Tragoportax, the former being very abundant and the latter quite rare. The reverse is true in the other localities of the late Miocene of Greece probably because the palaeoenvironment of Dytiko was a little different with more wooded areas. The presence of cervids and tragulids are certainly due to the same reason. Cervids are more forest dwellers than most of the bovids and nowadays tragulids deal with dense forested areas. Dytiko is the last European occurrence in Europe of the tragulid Dorcatherium which is a fossil relict of the middle Miocene. Recent studies of the dental microwear of the late Miocene ruminants reach the same conclusion. It seems that, in Greece, the end of the late Miocene (MN 13) was more humid than the Vallesian (MN 10), the first interval of the continental late Miocene, and than the lower part of the Turolian (MN 11 and MN 12). The whole set of the Dytiko fauna of ruminants belongs to the Greco-Iranian faunal province but it contains some taxa which dealt in more northern areas and did not belong to this province. Hispanodorcas was known from Spain to Ukraine, Gazella schlosseri was recovered in Ukraine and Procapreolus in Ukraine, Moldavia, Austria, Hungary, and Italy close to the Mio-Pliocene boundary. Finally, we can note that the Dytiko ruminant fauna is close to that of the locality Vozarci, Tivkes basin (FYROM), with Palaeoreas, Gazella, Palaeoryx, Dystychoceras and Hispanodorcas.

Sequence Variation and Molecular Evolution of Hormone-Sensitive Lipase Genes in Species of Bovidae

The partial sequences of exon I of hormone-sensitive lipase ( HSL) genes in yak ( Bos grunniens), cattle ( Bos taurus), zebu ( Bos indicus), and buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis) were analyzed. Comparisons of these sequences and the deduced amino acid sequences with the homologous HSL gene and protein sequences in other mammalian species including pig ( Sus scrofa), human ( Homo sapiens), mouse ( Mus musculus), and rat ( Rattus sp.) retrieved from the GenBank were carried out and finally a phylogenetic tree was constructed using the partial DNA sequences of the HSL genes in all species. The results showed that the homologies of the partial exon I sequences of the HSL genes between yak and cattle, zebu, buffalo, pig, human, mouse, and rat were as high as 99.8%, 99.6%, 97.4%, 90.6%, 88.4%, 83.5%, and 82.3%, respectively. This was accompanied by highly homologous amino acid sequences of the HSLs: 100%, 100%, 98.2%, 94.0%, 92.2%, 89.8%, and 89.8% identity, respectively. There are more transitions, less transversions, and no insertion or deletion in variable nucleotides of the HSL genes between the yak and other species. The majority of the variable mutations was synonymous and was found most frequently at the third codon, followed by the first and second codons, a finding that was in accordance with the neutralism hypothesis for molecular evolution. In the phylogenetic tree, the cattle and zebu were clustered together first, followed by the yak, buffalo, pig, human, mouse, and rat. This was in agreement with taxonomy suggesting that the partial sequences of exon I of the HSL genes were useful in constructing the phylogenetic tree of mammalian species. Among the four species of Bovidae, genetic differentiation in the HSL genes between yak and buffalo is equivalent to that between buffalo and cattle and between buffalo and zebu. Furthermore, the genetic distances in the HSL genes are much smaller between yak, cattle, and zebu than those between each of the three species and the buffalo. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider yak as an independent species of the genus Bos.

Physical organization of the 1.709 satellite IV DNA family in Bovini and Tragelaphini tribes of the Bovidae: sequence and chromosomal evolution

Repetitive DNA in the mammalian genome is a valuable record and marker for evolution, providing information about the order and driving forces related to evolutionary events. The evolutionarily young 1.709 satellite IV DNA family is present near the centromeres of many chromosomes in the Bovidae. Here, we isolated 1.709 satellite DNA sequences from five Bovidae species belonging to Bovini: Bos taurus (BTA, cattle), Bos indicus (BIN, zebu), Bubalus bubalis (BBU, water buffalo) and Tragelaphini tribes: Taurotragus oryx (TOR, eland) and Tragelaphus euryceros (TEU, bongo). Its presence in both tribes shows the sequence predates the evolutionary separation of the two tribes (more than 10 million years ago), and primary sequence shows increasing divergence with evolutionary distance. Genome organization (Southern hybridization) and physical distribution (in situ hybridization) revealed differences in the molecular organization of these satellite DNA sequences. The data suggest that the sequences on the sex chromosomes and the autosomes evolve as relatively independent groups, with the repetitive sequences suggesting that Bovini autosomes and the Tragelaphini sex chromosomes represent the more primitive chromosome forms.