Although horns occur in a single pair on almost all bovid species, there are exceptions such as the four-horned antelope [38] and the Jacob sheep. [39] [40] The unique horn structure is the only unambiguous morphological feature of bovids that distinguishes them from other pecorans.

Water buffalo horn used as a hammer with cleaver to cut fish in southeast China. Horned animals are sometimes hunted so their mounted head or horns can be displayed as a hunting trophy or as decorative objects. Some cultures use bovid horns as …

May 17, 1996 · I use measurements from museum specimens and behavioral data from the literature to examine the relationship between morphology of horns of males and fighting behavior in 21 species of bovids, representing 11 of the 12 bovid tribes.

Feb 28, 2025 · bovid, (family Bovidae), any hoofed mammal in the family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), which includes the antelopes, sheep, goats, cattle, buffalo, and bison. What sets the Bovidae apart from other cud-chewing artiodactyls (notably deer , family Cervidae) is the presence of horns consisting of a sheath covering a bony core that grows from the ...

Hierarchical structure of the bovid horn. Horns are mostly found in animals that fall into the category of Bovidae: cloven-hoofed, ruminant animals, such as goats, antelopes, buffalos, etc. Consequently, while this paper touches on horn applications outside of this biological family, it mainly focuses and goes more into depth on topics ...

Bovid synapomorphies include horns with a bony core covered by a keratinous sheath and large foramen ovales. In addition, bovids exhibit dental and limb morphologies that reflect an evolutionary specialization for open grassland habitats.

One pair of unbranched horns characterize bovids, except for the unique chousingha (Tetracerus quadricornis) from India, also known as the four-horned antelope. All male bovids have horns, and so do females in several species, although they are almost always smaller.

In all bovid species, males have horns on their heads, while some females also have horns. A bovid horn consists of a bony protrusion covered in a sheath of keratin, a material found in skin, hair, and claws. Some other hoofed animals also have horns, but they differ from bovid horns.

Mar 12, 2011 · As the main weapon of defense and attack, the horns of bovid animals have a remarkable ability to bear static or dynamic loads. In this study, we experimentally investigated the mechanical properties of cattle horns.

Horns, the cranial appendages of the family Bovidae, are covered in a layer of keratin that is often not preserved in the fossil record; however, this keratin sheath is intimately involved in the processes that influence horn shape evolution.