The largest bovids weigh well over a ton and stand 2 metres high at the shoulder; the smallest weigh about 3 kg and stand no taller than a large domestic cat. Some are thick-set and muscular, others lightly built with small frames and long legs. Many species congregate into large groups with complex social structures, but others are mostly solitary. Within their extensive range, they occupy a wide variety of habitat types, from desert to tundra and from thick tropical forest to cliff-faces.
All members of the family are herbivorous and have a four-chambered stomach which allows most of them to digest foods that are too low in nutriment for many other animals, notably grasses. No animal is able to directly digest cellulose: like (for example) kangaroos and termites, bovids rely on stomach bacteria to break down cellulose by fermentation.
Biophysical Society names 2009 award recipients Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400 (Biophysical Society) The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2009 Society awards. The eight recipients will receive their awards at the Society's 53rd Annual Meeting on Monday, March 2, 2009, at the Boston Convention and Exhibitions Center in Massachusetts. Iowa State wins $18.5M grant to create NSF Center for Biorenewable Chemicals Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400 (Iowa State University) The National Science Foundation has awarded Iowa State University and its research partners an $18.5 million grant to establish an NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at Iowa State. The center's focus will be to develop catalysts that promote the chemical reactions that can efficiently produce biorenewable chemicals. The center is also expected to create partnerships that promote innovation, transform engineered systems and produce engineering graduates who can contribute in a global economy. INCF organizes the first congress dedicated to the emerging field of neuroinformatics Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400 (INCF - International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility) The first INCF Congress of Neuroinformatics will convene Sept. 7-9 at the Stockholm City Conference Center in Stockholm. The emerging neuroinformatics field combines neuroscience and informatics research to develop advanced tools and approaches to understanding the structure and function of the brain. The tools may also be applied to brain disorders and diseases. With a broad international outreach, the meeting will bring together experts from all disciplines contributing to neuroinformatics.