Capra is agenus ofmammals, thegoats, comprising tenspecies, including themarkhor and several species known asibexes. Thedomestic goat (Capra hircus) is adomesticatedspecies derived from thebezoar ibex (Capra aegagrus aegagrus). It is one of the oldest domesticated species of animal—according to archaeological evidence its earliest domestication occurred in Iran at 10,000calibrated calendar years ago.[1]
Wild goats are animals ofmountain habitats. They are very agile and hardy, able to climb on bare rock and survive on sparse vegetation. They can be distinguished from the genusOvis, which includes sheep, by the presence of scent glands close to the feet, in the groin, and in front of the eyes, and the absence of other facial glands, and by the presence of a beard in some specimens, and of hairlesscalluses on the knees of the forelegs.[2]
All members of the genusCapra arebovids (members of the family Bovidae), and more specifically caprines (subfamilyCaprinae). As such they areruminants, meaning they chew the cud, and have four-chambered stomachs which play a vital role in digesting, regurgitating, and redigesting their food.
The genus has sometimes been taken to includeOvis (sheep) andAmmotragus (Barbary sheep),[3] but these are usually regarded as distinct genera, leavingCapra for ibexes. In this smaller genus, some authors have recognized only two species, the markhor on one side and all other forms included in one species on the other side.[4] Today, nine wild species are usually accepted to which is added the domestic goat:[5]
West Asian ibex also known as the wild goat (Capra aegagrus)
Thegoats of the genusCapra have complex systematic relationships, which are still not completely resolved. Recent studies based onmitochondrial DNA suggest that the Asian ibex and the Nubian ibex represent distinct species, which are not very closely related to the physically similar Alpine ibex. The Alpine ibex forms a group with the Iberian ibex. The West Caucasian tur appears to be more closely related to the wild goat than to the East Caucasian tur. The markhor is relatively little separated from other forms—previously it had been considered to be a separate branch of the genus.[9]
The followingcladogram of sevenCapra species is based on 2022 mitochondrial evidence:[10]
Almost all wild goat species areallopatric (geographically separated)—the only geographical overlaps are the wild goat (Capra aegagrus) with the East Caucasian tur (Capra cylindricornis), and the markhor (Capra falconeri) with the Asian ibex (Capra sibirica). In both cases, the overlapping species do not usually interbreed in the wild, but in captivity, allCapra species can interbreed, producing fertile offspring.[11]
Along with sheep, goats were among the firstdomesticated animals. The domestication process started at least 10,000 years ago in what is now northernIran.[14] Easy human access to goat hair,meat, andmilk were the primary motivations. Goat skins were popularly used until theMiddle Ages for water andwine bottles when traveling andcamping, and in certain regions asparchment for writing.
^Pidancier, Nathalie; Jordan, Steve; Luikart, Gordon; Taberlet, Pierre (2006). "Evolutionary history of the genus Capra (Mammalia, Artiodactyla): Discordance between mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome phylogenies".Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.40 (3):739–749.Bibcode:2006MolPE..40..739P.doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.04.002.PMID16757184.
^Sarasa, Mathieu; Alasaad, Samer; Pérez, Jesús M. (2012). "Common names of species, the curious case of Capra pyrenaica and the concomitant steps towards the 'wild-to-domestic' transformation of a flagship species and its vernacular names".Biodiversity and Conservation.21 (1):1–12.Bibcode:2012BiCon..21....1S.doi:10.1007/s10531-011-0172-3.ISSN1572-9710.S2CID254282784.
^Mendelssohn, Heinrich; Yom-Tov, Yoram (1999).Mammalia of Israel. Fauna Palaestina. Jerusalem: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.ISBN978-965-208-145-2.
^Kazanskaya, E. Y.; Kuznetsova, M. V.; Danilkin, A. A. (2007). "Phylogenetic reconstructions in the genus Capra (Bovidae, Artiodactyla) based on the mitochondrial DNA analysis".Russian Journal of Genetics.43 (2):181–189.doi:10.1134/S1022795407020135.
.jpg)
