The muskox, also spelled musk ox and musk-ox, plural muskoxen or musk oxen, is a hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae. Native to the Arctic, it is noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males during the seasonal rut, from which its name derives. This musky odor has the effect of attracting females during mating season. Its Inuktitut name "umingmak" translates to "the bearded one".
Muskox
Euceratherium skeleton (missing its ribs)
Fossil Ovibos moschatus skull from prehistoric Siberia
Muskox at Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Alaska
The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, yaks, bison, buffalo, antelopes, sheep and goats. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, the family Bovidae consists of 11 major subfamilies and thirteen major tribes. The family evolved 20 million years ago, in the early Miocene.
Bovidae
Skull of Eotragus sansaniensis, a species of the ancient bovid genus Eotragus
Bovids have unbranched horns.
The gemsbok has conspicuous markings on its face, which conceal the eye, and on its legs. These may have a role in communication.
