Cows and sheep are two of the most common animals in our lives, whether in terms of size, appearance, and taste.
But in the world of science, they belong to the same species!
Our common domestic cattle, yaks, sheep, goats, as well as wild antelopes, bison, etc., are even-hoofed - ruminant suborder - cattle animals.
What is a bovine?
The bovine family is the most successful and progressive of the ungulates, including half of the remaining ungulates. Both male and female bovine families have horns, bone hearts and horn sheaths grow for life, incisors and canine teeth are degenerated, and rumination function is perfect. There are many species of bovine families, and there are many taxonomic controversies below its family, which can be divided into multiple subfamilies and families.
According to the classification method of modern biology, there are 9 subfamilies of cattle, namely: the subfamily of the oryx, the subfamily sheep, the subfamily reed antelope, the subfamily of the short-horned antelope, the subfamily of the high-horned antelope, the subfamily of the antelope, the subfamily antelope, and the subfamily of the cattle.
In other words, all the sheep in this world (including antelopes) are literally cattle.
Sheep belong to the bovine family, which is already strange, and there is even stranger. There is a species of cattle called musk oxen, but it is classified into the cattle and sheep family.
Not only that, but the large herbivorous wildebeest, which can often be seen in African documentaries, actually has another name, that is, wildebeest, in fact, it is a large antelope, which also belongs to the bovine family.
This division method comes from the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus.
He divided the natural world into three realms of plants, animals and minerals, and in the animal and plant realm, he established four levels of class, order, genus and species, thus establishing a hierarchical system of biological classification.
Later, Darwin's book On the Origin of Species was published, which made it clear that taxonomic research lies in exploring the kinship between organisms.
So now you know what? Sheep are cattle in its home.
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