2 bovidae lost in time

 The lost gazelle species of Africa and Asia 

    When we talk about gazelles we can't help but think of large herds of those little animals running and jumping across the plains of Africa, Also in scenes of chases of cheetahs and other animals, but the truth is that there are gazelles not only in Africa, There are also them in Asia, especially in Arabia, and in this context, there are 2 species of gazelles that have been lost, and their relationship and existence is strange, let's get to know these cases, let's begin.

The red gazelle,(Eudorcas Rufina) 

     It is a type of gazelle, which is said to have once lived in North Africa. possibly in Morocco and Algeria, since its morphology was apparently adapted to life in deserts. Being similar to the species eudorcas rufifrons, only larger in size, darker red in color, with black stripes on the flanks, between the hind and front legs, In addition, there were also several bone differences, including having heavier hooves and other small color differences in the rump, face and rest of the body.

It was described based on 3 specimens for sale in the markets of Algiers and Oran, There are no records of the red gazelle in the wild and these were found at the end of the 19th century, being taken to the museums of Paris and London, remaining undescribed for a long time, until finally after DNA analysis in 2008 of a specimen demonstrating a significant genetic divergence, The curious thing is that it is not known how long it existed, although it is believed that it became extinct until the middle of the 20th century.

There is no certainty that this variety is a separate species or a subspecies, so this species is controversial, being classified as quite doubtful by current geneticists, having doubts about the validity of the taxon itself.

Queen of Sheba's Gazelle,(Gazella Bilkis)

     The Queen of Sheba gazelle or Yemen gazelle is a possible species of gazelle, native to the region of Yemen, specifically in the mountain areas near Ta'izz.

It was known from only 5 specimens, collected in the mountains near Ta'izz in 1958 and deposited in the Chicago Museum of Natural History, where they were later recognized as a species in 1985, after that time when they were collected they have not been seen again and surveys in the area of ​​their previous occurrence have not been able to find any sign of their presence.

The validity of this species is doubtful, believing that it is only a subspecies of some already known species, In the end there are only these stored specimens that have not been seen again and a supposed photograph of these captive gazelles, In a private collection at Al Wabra Wildlife Farm in Qatar, zoologist Colin Groves claims these could be surviving Queen of Sheba gazelles, but nothing is confirmed.

Here I leave the photograph of the supposed animals.

Wow, it's a shame to see that species of large mammals are lost and left in situations as complicated as these animals doubts regarding these taxa still exist, and it is possible that they will never be resolved, or at least not in a short period of time.

[Reading links]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_Sheba%27s_gazelle

https://mamiferosdomundo.blogspot.com/2017/05/gazella-bilkis-gazela-do-iemen.html?m=1

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_gazelle

https://animalia.bio/es/red-gazelle