is little difference between Japanese and Taiwan serows; their karyotype is essentially the same: 2n=50, FN=60. The Taiwan serow is smaller and shorter-haired, with browner fur and a white patch under the chin and throat. Phylogenetically, Capricornis is closer to goats and sheep than cattle. The nomenclature and status of Capricornis taxa are not completely resolved. Some researchers have considered Capricornis a junior synonym of Naemorhedus, a classification that includes gorals; molecular analysis has not supported this classification. Capricornis has a lower canine, which Naemorhedus species usually do not. In Japan, the serow is widely thought of as a kind of deer, though deer and serows are in different families. In the past, the Japanese word was written using the Chinese character for , meaning "deer". Today, when written using Chinese characters, the characters for "antelope" and "sheep" are used. Sometimes the serow is mistaken for a wild boar. Appearance and anatomy The Japanese serow is a small bovid whose displayed morphology is primitive in relation to other bovids. It has a stocky body whose size varies little between sexes or geographic location; it stands about tall ( at the shoulder) and weighs . The hoof is cloven. Compared to mainland serow, the ears are shorter and the coat is typically longer and woollier—about on the body. It has a bushy tail of and no mane. Its fur is whitish around the neck, and fur on the body may be black, black with a dorsal white spot, dark brown, or whitish. The coat lightens in summer. There are three well-developed skin glands: large preorbital glands in both sexes, which increase in size as the animal ages; poorly developed interdigital glands in all four legs; and preputial glands. The adult's 32 permanent teeth form by 30 months, and have a dental formula of . The inner sides of the teeth become blackened with a hard-to-remove substance, likely tree resin. The tongue has a V-shaped apex. Differentiation between the sexes is not well developed; body size, growth, survival, and feeding habits show negligible difference. Both sexes have short, backwards-curving horns measuring ; the sheaths have a series of transverse rings. Horns begin to develop at about four months and continue to grow throughout the lifespan. Environment affects the size of the first growth ring. Size, curvature, and thickness and number of transverse rings are indicative of age. Up to two years, there