Pseudorygina(Pseudoryx) Bubalina(Bubalus, Syncerus) Bovina(Bison, Bos) The majority of phylogenetic work based on ribosomal DNA, chromosomal analysis, autosomal introns and mitochondrial DNA has recovered three distinctive subtribes of Bovini: Pseudorygina (represented solely by the saola), Bubalina, and Bovina (which today are represented by the genera Bison and Bos).

[4][5][6][7] One cytogenetic analysis concerning the phylogenetic position on the saola suggests the species could be related to buffalo.

[1][5][9][2] Whilst the majority of molecular and morphological work strongly supports the recognition of these two genera as being sister taxa,[5][10] since 2011 new uncertainty over the number of species that should be recognized has been introduced.

[9] The African buffalo is noted to exhibit extreme morphological variability, and in the past a number of discrete species or subspecies have been named for specific geographic populations.

[3] According to the fossil record and the molecular work, Bubalina and Bovina diverged from one and another from a common ancestor around 13.7 million years ago in the Late Miocene.