32-461: Damaliscus dorcas phillipsi The blesbok or blesbuck ( Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi ) is a subspecies of the bontebok antelope endemic to South Africa , Eswatini and Namibia . It has a distinctive white face and forehead, which inspired the name because bles is the Afrikaans (and Dutch language ) word for a blaze such as one might see on the forehead of a horse. The blesbok and
64-559: A World Heritage Site in 2000. The area in which it is situated is known as the Cradle of Humankind . The Sterkfontein Caves are also home to numerous wild African species including Belonogaster petiolata , a wasp species of which there is a large nesting presence. Numerous early hominin remains have been found at the site over the last few decades. These have been attributed to Australopithecus , early Homo and Paranthropus . In 2024
96-515: A few minutes. When chased, they can maintain a speed of 70 km/h (43 mph) but, like other white-fronted damalisques, blesbok are not good jumpers. They are, however, very good at crawling under things. Fossil remains of a prehistoric relative, Damaliscus niro , were found in deposits in Sterkfontein . With a weight of approximately 120 kg, it was heavier than the modern blesbok and had slightly different horns. D. niro became extinct at
128-442: A gestation period of about 240 days (8 months). Females give birth to a single calf per breeding season. The blesbok was hunted nearly to extinction because of its large numbers, but having been protected since the late 19th century, it has proliferated. Today, it is sufficiently numerous not to be classed as endangered. In modern times, this is largely because of the commercial value of the blesbok to private landowners and because it
160-586: A separate description is warranted. These distinct groups do not interbreed as they are isolated from another, but they can interbreed and have fertile offspring, e.g. in captivity. These subspecies, races, or populations, are usually described and named by zoologists, botanists and microbiologists. In a monotypic species, all populations exhibit the same genetic and phenotypical characteristics. Monotypic species can occur in several ways: Sterkfontein Sterkfontein ( Afrikaans for Strong Spring )
192-475: A species is a binomial or binomen, and comprises two Latin words, the first denoting the genus and the second denoting the species. The scientific name of a subspecies is formed slightly differently in the different nomenclature codes. In zoology, under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), the scientific name of a subspecies is termed a trinomen , and comprises three words, namely
224-426: A species. Botanists and mycologists have the choice of ranks lower than subspecies, such as variety (varietas) or form (forma), to recognize smaller differences between populations. In biological terms, rather than in relation to nomenclature, a polytypic species has two or more genetically and phenotypically divergent subspecies, races , or more generally speaking, populations that differ from each other so that
256-417: A subspecies. A common criterion for recognizing two distinct populations as subspecies rather than full species is the ability of them to interbreed even if some male offspring may be sterile. In the wild, subspecies do not interbreed due to geographic isolation or sexual selection . The differences between subspecies are usually less distinct than the differences between species. The scientific name of
288-504: Is a set of limestone caves of special interest in paleoanthropology located in Gauteng province, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of Johannesburg , South Africa in the Muldersdrift area close to the town of Krugersdorp . The archaeological sites of Swartkrans and Kromdraai are in the same area. Sterkfontein is a South African National Heritage Site and was also declared
320-464: Is a subspecies or a full species, the species name may be written in parentheses. Thus Larus (argentatus) smithsonianus means the American herring gull ; the notation within the parentheses means that some consider it a subspecies of a larger herring gull species and therefore call it Larus argentatus smithsonianus , while others consider it a full species and therefore call it Larus smithsonianus (and
352-712: Is abbreviated as subsp. or ssp. and the singular and plural forms are the same ("the subspecies is" or "the subspecies are"). In zoology , under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature , the subspecies is the only taxonomic rank below that of species that can receive a name. In botany and mycology , under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants , other infraspecific ranks , such as variety , may be named. In bacteriology and virology , under standard bacterial nomenclature and virus nomenclature , there are recommendations but not strict requirements for recognizing other important infraspecific ranks. A taxonomist decides whether to recognize
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#1733085509458384-404: Is now defined as a member of A. africanus . In 1984, Peter Verhulsel who was a member of cave diving expedition researching one of the caves was lost and ultimately starved to death after three weeks in the cave as rescue groups could not find him. In 1997, a nearly complete skeleton of a second species of Australopithecus (StW 573) was found in the caves by Ronald J. Clarke ; extraction of
416-446: Is one of the few medium-sized antelopes that can be contained by normal stock fencing. As of 2017, blesbok numbers have had an upward trend, and are estimated to be at least 54,000, with about 69% of these thought to be genetically pure. There are at least 17,000 in protected areas. The principal threat is thought to be hybridization with the bontebok. Humans , lions , leopards , African wild dogs , spotted hyenas , and cheetahs are
448-545: Is open grassland with water. They often occupy relatively small territories of 2.5 to 6.0 acres in size. They were once one of the most abundant antelope species of the African plains but have become scarce since 1893 due to relentless poaching for their skins and meat. Trophy hunting has helped the blesbok to survive and thrive in the areas where they are hunted legally. The blesbok is a seasonal breeder, with rutting from March to May. Births peak during November and December after
480-646: The Highveld north of the Vaal River southwards through the Free State , to the Eastern Cape . It is a plains species and dislikes wooded areas. It was first described in the 17th century in bountiful herds. Physically, rams and ewes are remarkably similar. Their mass can be as much as 85 kg. A characteristic of the blesbok is the prominent white blaze on the face and a horizontal brown strip that divides this blaze above
512-402: The bontebok ( D. p. pygargus ) are subspecies of the same species and can readily interbreed, the hybrid offspring being known as the bontebles or baster blesbok; the differences between the two subspecies have arisen due to preferences for different habitats in the wild. The blesbok is endemic to southern Africa and is found in large numbers in all national parks with open grasslands , from
544-434: The flowstone dated in the uranium-lead dating has been shown to have formed later than the fossil, an age estimate of ~3 Ma suggested by the same authors has little firm basis. The palaeomagnetic analysis remains the most credible age estimate based on the current data as it included work on both sediments and speleothem. A slightly younger deposit (StW 53 infill) dated to between 1.8 to 1.5 Mya has revealed
576-449: The binomen followed by the name of the subspecies. For example, the binomen for the leopard is Panthera pardus . The trinomen Panthera pardus fusca denotes a subspecies, the Indian leopard . All components of the trinomen are written in italics. In botany , subspecies is one of many ranks below that of species, such as variety , subvariety , form , and subform. To identify the rank,
608-526: The blesbok's main predators, while jackals , eagles , and potentially rock pythons and monitor lizards may take unattended calves. Nile crocodiles will catch blesbok, opportunistically , if they come to drink at bodies of water where crocodiles reside, or attempt to cross rivers with crocodiles in them. The blesbok is also farmed and hunted for its skin, meat, and for trophies. Blesbok are shy and alert; they rely on speed and endurance to escape predators but tend to return to where they were attacked after
640-550: The cave was closed to visitors by its owner. Modern excavation of the caves began in the late 1890s by limestone miners who noticed the fossils and brought them to the attention of scientists. In 1936, students of Professor Raymond Dart and Dr. Robert Broom from the University of the Witwatersrand began concerted excavations. The caves yielded the first adult Australopithecine , substantially strengthening Dart's claim that
672-474: The end of the Pleistocene 12,000 years ago. Subspecies In biological classification , subspecies ( pl. : subspecies) is a rank below species , used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology ), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species have subspecies, but for those that do there must be at least two. Subspecies
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#1733085509458704-432: The eyes. The body is brown with a lighter-coloured saddle on the back and the rump an even lighter shade. The legs are brown, with a white patch behind the top part of the front legs. Lower legs whitish. Both sexes carry horns, ringed almost to the tip. Female horns are slightly more slender. The neck and the top of the back of the blesbok are brown. Lower down on the flanks and buttocks, the coloring becomes darker. The belly,
736-627: The inside of the buttocks, and the area up to the base of the tail is white. Blesbok can be easily differentiated from other antelopes because they have a distinct white face and forehead. The blesbok differs from the bontebok by having less white on the coat and the blaze on the face, which is usually divided; the coat is also a lighter yellow than the bontebok. The length of their horns averages at around 38 cm. Male adult blesbok average around 70 kg; females average lower, at around 61 kg. Blesbok can be found in open veld or plains of South Africa, Eswatini and Namibia. Their preferred habitat
768-467: The rank of variety are taken to be names of subspecies (see International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes ). As in botany, subspecies is conventionally abbreviated as "subsp.", and is used in the scientific name: Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii . In zoological nomenclature , when a species is split into subspecies, the originally described population is retained as the "nominotypical subspecies" or "nominate subspecies", which repeats
800-436: The remains from the surrounding breccia is ongoing. The skeleton was named Little Foot , since the first parts found (in 1995, in storage) were the bones of a foot. Excavations continue to this day, and finds now total some 500 hominids, making Sterkfontein one of the richest sites in the world for early hominids. The Palaeo-Anthropology Scientific Trust (PAST), a non-profit trust fund established in 1993, sponsors over 90% of
832-458: The remains of a specimen of early Homo (StW 53). StW 53 has been described as similar to Homo habilis or as a novel new species Homo gautengensis . No stone tools were associated with the fossil, but StW 53 has evidence for stone tool cut-marks. Member 5 contains Oldowan and Acheulian stone tools as well as specimens of early Homo and Paranthropus and is dated to between 1.6 and 1.1 Mya. In 2022 cosmogenic nuclide dating found that
864-573: The research undertaken at Sterkfontein and was instrumental in its nomination as a World Heritage Site. The Member 4 deposits containing the Australopithecus africanus fossils have been dated to between 2.6 and 2.0 Ma, with the Sts5 "Mrs. Ples" fossil estimated to date to between 2.05 and 2.01 Ma based on a combination of Uranium–lead dating and palaeomagnetic analysis and electron spin resonance dating The StW 573 partial skeleton ( Little Foot )
896-418: The same name as the species. For example, Motacilla alba alba (often abbreviated M. a. alba ) is the nominotypical subspecies of the white wagtail ( Motacilla alba ). The subspecies name that repeats the species name is referred to in botanical nomenclature as the subspecies " autonym ", and the subspecific taxon as the "autonymous subspecies". When zoologists disagree over whether a certain population
928-552: The skull known as the Taung Child (an Australopithecus africanus ) was a human ancestor. There was a pause in excavation during World War II, but after the war Dr. Robert Broom continued excavations. In 1947, he found a nearly complete skull of an adult female ( STS 5 ) A. africanus (or possibly that of an adolescent male). Broom initially named the skull Plesianthropus transvaalensis ( near-man from Transvaal ), but it became better known by its nickname, Mrs. Ples . Mrs. Ples
960-556: The subspecific name must be preceded by "subspecies" (which can be abbreviated to "subsp." or "ssp."), as in Schoenoplectus californicus subsp. tatora . In bacteriology , the only rank below species that is regulated explicitly by the code of nomenclature is subspecies , but infrasubspecific taxa are extremely important in bacteriology; Appendix 10 of the code lays out some recommendations that are intended to encourage uniformity in describing such taxa. Names published before 1992 in
992-425: The user of the notation is not taking a position). A subspecies is a taxonomic rank below species – the only such rank recognized in the zoological code, and one of three main ranks below species in the botanical code. When geographically separate populations of a species exhibit recognizable phenotypic differences, biologists may identify these as separate subspecies; a subspecies is a recognized local variant of
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1024-486: Was recovered from a separate infill at the site within the confines of the Silberberg Grotto. It is estimated to be around 2.6–2.2 Ma based on a combination of uranium-lead dating and palaeomagnetic analysis and belongs to a second species of australopith, Australopithecus prometheus . In contrast, surface exposure dating of sediments indicate that skeleton StW 573 has an age of approximately 4 million years. While
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