Editing Springbok (section)

== Taxonomy and evolution ==
The springbok, in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Bovidae]],<ref name =MSW3>{{MSW3 Artiodactyla | id = 14200530 | page = 678}}</ref>  was first [[Species description|described]] by the German zoologist [[Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann]] in 1780, who assigned the genus ''Antilope'' ([[blackbuck]]) to the springbok.<ref>{{cite book|last1=von Zimmermann|first1=E.A.W.|author-link=Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann|title=Geographische Geschichte des Menschen, und der Allgemein Verbreiteten Vierfüssigen Thiere: Nebst Einer Hieher Gehörigen Zoologischen Weltcharte|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb__pQ-AAAAcAAJ|date=1780|publisher=In der Weygandschen Buchhandlung|location=Leipzig|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb__pQ-AAAAcAAJ/page/n492 427]|language=de}} {{open access}}</ref> In 1845, Swedish zoologist [[Carl Jakob Sundevall]] placed the springbok as the sole living member of the [[genus (biology)|genus]] ''[[Antidorcas#Modern taxonomy|Antidorcas]]''.<ref name="Sundevall">{{cite journal|last1=Sundevall|first1=C.J.|author-link=Carl Jakob Sundevall|title=Melhodisk öfversigt af Idislande djuren, Linnés Pecora|journal=Kungl. Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar|year=1844|page=271|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/182326#page/795/mode/1up|series=3|volume=32|language=sv}} {{open access}}</ref>

===Subspecies===
Three [[subspecies]] of ''Antidorcas marsupialis'' are recognised:<ref name=Cain2004/><ref name=groves>{{cite book|last1=Groves|first1=C.|last2=Grubb|first2=P.|author1-link=Colin Groves|author2-link=Peter Grubb (zoologist)|title=Ungulate Taxonomy|date=2011|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore|isbn=978-1-4214-0093-8|pages=154–155}}</ref>
* ''A. m. angolensis'' <small>(Blaine, 1922)</small> – Occurs in [[Benguela]] and [[Moçâmedes]] (southwestern [[Angola]]).
* ''A. m. hofmeyri'' <small>([[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1926)</small> – Occurs in [[Berseba]] and [[Great Namaqualand]] (southwestern Africa). Its range lies north of the [[Orange River]], stretching from [[Upington]] and [[Sandfontein]] through Botswana to Namibia.
* ''A. m. marsupialis'' <small>(Zimmermann, 1780)</small> – Its range lies south of the Orange River, extending from the northeastern [[Cape of Good Hope]] to the Free State and [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberley]].

===Evolution===
Fossil springbok are known from the [[Pliocene]]; the antelope appears to have evolved about three million years ago from a gazelle-like ancestor. Three fossil species of ''Antidorcas'' have been identified, in addition to the extant form, and appear to have been widespread across Africa. Two of these, ''[[Antidorcas bondi|A. bondi]]'' and ''[[Antidorcas australis|A. australis]]'', became extinct around 7,000 years ago (early [[Holocene]]). The third species, ''[[Antidorcas recki|A. recki]]'', probably gave rise to the extant form ''A. marsupialis'' during the [[Pleistocene]], about 100,000 years ago.<ref name=Cain2004/><ref name=Vrba1973>{{cite journal | last = Vrba | first = E.S. | author-link = Elisabeth Vrba | year = 1973 | title = Two species of ''Antidorcas'' (Sundevall) at Swartkrans (Mammalia: Bovidae) | journal = Annals of the Transvaal Museum | volume = 28 | issue = 15 | url=http://hdl.handle.net/10499/AJ6704 | pages = 287–351| hdl = 10499/AJ6704 }} {{open access}}</ref> Fossils have been reported from Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene sites in northern, southern, and eastern Africa. Fossils dating back to 80 and 100 thousand years ago have been excavated at [[Herolds Bay|Herolds Bay Cave]] ([[Western Cape Province]], South Africa) and [[Florisbad archaeological and paleontological site|Florisbad]] ([[Free State (province)|Free State]]), respectively.<ref name=Cain2004/>