Material for the Study of Ruminant-. 



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than thai of Bos taunts. All characteristics taken together it seems 

 evident that the Anoa has an unmistakable affinity with the Bovine 

 group or section. Among characteristics of importance for the passing 

 of such a judgement the structure of the kidneys and the general 

 arrangement of the large intestine seem especially valuable, because 

 Bos (s. str.) and Anoa agree in these respects with each others at 

 the same time as they widely differ from all other Cavicornia, the Bu- 

 balidine section excepted with regard to the colic morphology. But at 

 the same time it must be admitted that the Anoa, with regard to the 

 morphology of its soft parts as well as with regard to its skeleton and 

 the structure of its horns, is less specialised than the typical members 

 of the genus Bos and has retained more ancient characters and thus 

 remained on a more primitive stage. In this respect its seclusion on 

 an island may have played an important part. But in spite of the fact 

 that the Anoa is a generalised type it cannot as yet, with the present 

 state of our knowledge, be said with which, if with any, of the antelo- 

 pine groups the Anoa might be more closely related than the typical 

 members of the genus Bos are. The Anoa is thus a true member of 

 the Bovine section. The characteristics with regard to which it re- 

 sembles Connochœtes and Bubalis (shape of spleen, simplicity of colic 

 spiral etc.) are shared by the typical Bos as well, and these might 

 indicate that the ancestors of the Bovine and Bubalidine sections ori- 

 ginally branched off from the common Cavicorn stem in one branch 1 )- 

 In a later time, however, this branch was divided into two, differing 

 through several distinguishing features, as well internal as external. 

 Among the former the Bovine section (incl. Anoa) acquired the lobu- 

 lated kidney, the isthmus of the thyreoidea etc. 



') In a similar manner the AntHopine and Ovine sections might once have together 

 formed another branch. 



