History Of The Bovidae Family

The domestic goat, Capra aegagrus hircu, is a small ruminant animal within the Bovidae family. It is commonly found homed on farms, but can also be found in the wild in many different geographical locations.
Unlike humans, goats are ruminants, meaning that they have four stomach compartments. The rumen is that largest of the four stomach compartments. It can hold up to 6 gallons depending on what the goat eats. The rumen is home to many microorganisms that help to break down the fiber and other food that was eaten. Because of the microbiological community, there is a conversion of cellulose to volatile fatty acids. These acids provide 80% of the goat’s energy by being absorbed in the rumen wall.
The reticulum is known as the hardware stomach …show more content…
It consists of many folds of tissue that grind up the ingested food.
What’s considered the true stomach is called the abomasum. Inside the abomasum are hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes that function in breaking down food particles before they enter the small intestine. This part of the stomach can hold up to about one gallon. (LSB, 2007). Evolution in the Bovidae family began its evolution in Africa around 19 million years ago and quickly diversified. Kingdon (1997) suggests that a continental divide is responsible for the diversification of the different species. When the two continental land masses were adjoined, the separate groups were able to travel to each other’s homeland.
One of the defining charcateristics of the Bovidae family is unbranched horns. Males of all bovid species have horns, but only some females have them. In some species, both sexes have horns. If this is the case, the males will always be thicker than the …show more content…
They are able to thrive in desert areas, but usually are found in temperate or tropical forests and grasslands. Goats are grazing animals, so they have to be in areas with enough vegetation to survive. Thanks to adaptation, they are able to thrive in areas with sparse vegetation, where other grazing animals can’t. Because of domestication, goats are found all over the globe. As long as they are given basic necessities by humans, they can live just about anywhere. Feral goats are the ones seen jumping up and down on the cliff of a mountain. (Phillips,

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