http://www.sgi.com/tech/openGL/paper.design/subsection3_4_9.html (Silicon Surf Promotional CD, 01/1995)
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The only hidden surface removal method directly provided by OpenGL
is the depth (or 
) buffer.
This assumption is in line with that of the graphics hardware
containing a framebuffer.
Other hidden surface removal methods
may be used with OpenGL (a BSP tree[2]
coupled with the painter's algorithm, for instance),
but it is assumed that such methods are never supported in hardware and thus
need not be supported explicitly by OpenGL.