Takin

Takin
Takin at Roger Williams Park Zoo
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Caprinae
Tribe: Caprini
Genus: Budorcas
Species:
B. taxicolor
Binomial name
Budorcas taxicolor
Hodgson, 1850
Subspecies

B. t. bedfordi
B. t. taxicolor
B. t. tibetana
B. t. whitei

Distribution of the takin

The takin (Budorcas taxicolor; /ˈtɑːkɪn/ TAH-kin), also called cattle chamois or gnu goat,[2] is a large species of ungulate of the subfamily Caprinae found in the eastern Himalayas. It includes four subspecies: the Mishmi takin (B. t. taxicolor), the golden takin (B. t. bedfordi), the Tibetan (or Sichuan) takin (B. t. tibetana), and the Bhutan takin (B. t. whitei).

Whilst the takin has in the past been placed together with the muskox in the tribe Ovibovini, more recent mitochondrial research shows a closer relationship to Ovis (sheep).[3] Its physical similarity to the muskox is therefore an example of convergent evolution.[4] The takin is the national animal of Bhutan.[5]

  1. ^ a b Song, Y.-L.; Smith, A.T.; MacKinnon, J. (2008). "Budorcas taxicolor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T3160A9643719. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T3160A9643719.en. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference diversity was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Zhou, M; Yu, J; Li, B; Ouyang, B; Yang, J (2019). "The complete mitochondrial genome of Budorcas taxicolor tibetana (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) and comparison with other Caprinae species: Insight into the phylogeny of the genus Budorcas". International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 121: 223–232. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.10.020. PMID 30296464. S2CID 52940552. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  4. ^ Groves, Pamela; Shields, Gerald F. (December 1997). "CytochromeBSequences Suggest Convergent Evolution of the Asian Takin and Arctic Muskox". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 8 (3): 363–374. Bibcode:1997MolPE...8..363G. doi:10.1006/mpev.1997.0423. PMID 9417894.
  5. ^ Tashi Wangchuk (2007). "The Takin - Bhutan's National Animal". In Lindsay Brown; Stan Armington (eds.). Bhutan. Lonely Planet. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-74059-529-2. Retrieved 15 September 2011.