Final answer:
The common term for a group of beef animals is 'bovine,' which encompasses all members of the cattle family, regardless of age or gender. The term is broadly applicable and includes species such as the American bison as well as domestic cattle, which descended from the extinct aurochs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question "What is a common term for a group of beef animals?" is D. bovine. The term bovine refers to any animal belonging to the cattle group and is not limited to any specific gender or age. In contrast, bulls are specifically adult male cattle that are capable of breeding, bullocks usually refer to young male cattle that are castrated and raised for meat, and cows are adult female cattle that have had a calf.
The American bison, also known as buffalo, is a bovid, which is a member of the bovine family. This majestic creature, once wandering the American prairies in vast numbers as reported by various sources in multiple figures such as figure 35.17, 44.17, and 20.23, differs from domesticated cattle which descended from aurochs, an extinct species of cattle. Moreover, the term bovine can be broadly applied to include a variety of grazing mammals beyond the traditional cattle, such as the American bison itself.
It is noteworthy that cattle were domesticated from the now extinct aurochs and are considered to have originated in the Old World (Europe, Africa, or Asia) as opposed to the American bison, which is native to North America. This distinguishes bison from other Old World animals like llamas, sheep, and pigs, which were domesticated in various parts of the world and were not indigenous to the New World.