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Bovidae vs Cervidae; Which artiodactyl family is more adaptable?
Topic Started: Feb 19 2018, 03:58 AM (395 Views)
Claudiu Constantin Nicolaescu
Heterotrophic Organism
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I would like to know your opinion about the artiodactyl families Bovidae and Cervidae? Which one do you think is more adaptable? Personally I like them both, and they seems to me to be equally suited for survival.
Edited by Claudiu Constantin Nicolaescu, Feb 19 2018, 03:58 AM.
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Grazier
Omnivore
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I love cervidae more (they are like my spirit animal or something, I get a stange feeling when I see them in person), but I can't for the life of me think of anything they are better than bovidae at. Antelope are faster, buffalo and the like much more formidable. Perhaps they have better awareness? The sambar deer is apparently nearly impossible to sneak up on, shaped by persecution from the tiger. I imagine antelope are pretty outstanding in this department too though.
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Claudiu Constantin Nicolaescu
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Thank you very much for your comment, Grazier!
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Ntwadumela
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Herbivore
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Judging by their distribuition I would say cervids are more suitable for colder and closed habitats and are less drought-tolerant, while bovids seems to be more adaptable and generalists, regarding their habitat preferences.
Edited by Ntwadumela, Feb 20 2018, 07:59 AM.
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Claudiu Constantin Nicolaescu
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Thank you very much for your comment, Ntwadumela!
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Palaeoscincus
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Adaptable can have many meanings. For me its hard to find a more successful wild ruminant than the white-tailed deer. Just outside the city I live, they are all over the place. They're among the most widespread species of ruminant and have thrived even in areas heavily occupied by humans.
Outside of Africa which deer were never native to except the very edge of Northwest Africa only very recently, deer have a much higher species number and take up the common niche of mid-sized forest browsing ungulate.
Bovidae seems to have species who are better adapted for harsher habitats like mountains, deserts, steppes, and tundra. They have the highest species count overall being so hugely successful in Africa, and also they clearly have more morphological variation than deer. So in that sense one can say they are more adaptable family.
Edited by Palaeoscincus, Feb 20 2018, 10:08 AM.
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