| Bison priscus Temporal range: Pleistocene (Lower Paleolithic) | |
|---|---|
| |
| "Blue Babe", a mummified specimen of Bison priscus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Genus: | Bison |
| Species: | †Bison priscus |
The Steppe Bison or Steppe Wisent (Bison priscus, meaning "wild ox" and "ancient") is an extinct species of bovid ungulate described in 1825 by palaeontologist Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus after being discovered in Europe earlier that year[1]. As its name may suggest, Steppe Bison lived on the Mammoth Steppe across Eurasia and North America from approximately 650,000 to 3,000 years ago throughout the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs.[2] The Steppe Bison measured about 3 metres (9.8 feet) long, and weighed approximately 1 to 2 tonnes (1.1 to 2.2 short tons).[3]
Description[]
The steppe bison was almost 2.1 metres (7 feet) tall at the shoulder, and weighed as much as 2 tonnes (2.2 short tons).[3] It shares many similarities with the extant European Bison and the American Wood Bison[4]. Each of its horns measure just over half a metre in length, and the gap between them is over 91 cm (3 feet) from tip to tip. Adults had a fur color of rich dark brown, while their calves were more reddish brown.[1]
Discovery and Naming[]
The steppe bison was named by Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus in 1825[5], with its name referring to the Mammoth Steppe ecosystem where it resided. [6] Its scientific name, Bison Priscus, translates to "wild ox" for its genus [7]and "ancient" for its species[8]. Many complete specimen of the steppe bison have been found from Western Europe to the United Sates, most notably being the mummified remains of an individual named "Blue Babe", who lived some time around 36,000 years ago.[9] The Steppe Bison was found in the same cave as the famous species of early humans, the Denisovans, now known as Homo longi.[10]
Classification[]
The Steppe Bison is classified within the Bovinae subfamily inside the Bovidae family[1]. Its closest living relative is the extant European Bison. [11]
Palaeoecology[]
A herd of modern bison.
The steppe bison was a large herbivore that served as prey for predators such as the Cave Lion, Cave Hyena, and Homotherium. These bison were also likely prey to early humans.[12] Many cave paintings in places where both humans and Steppe Bison lived appear to depict this species. [13]
Dental microwear suggest that they were mixed feeders[14]. The Steppe Bison is also closely related to Bison latifrons and Bison antiquus, with B. antiquus being the ancestor to modern bison.[15]
Notable Individuals[]
- Blue Babe: the famous steppe bison found frozen in permafrost by gold miners in 1997.
De-extinction[]
A team of Russian and South Korean scientists have suggested the possible cloning of the steppe bison, using a frozen tail.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steppe_bison
- ↑ https://emrlibrary.gov.yk.ca/Tourism/beringian-research-notes/no-8-steppe-bison.pdf
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://allaboutbison.com/ancient-bison/#:~:text=Brea%20tar%20pits.-,B.,ft%20(nearly%201%20m).
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_bison#:~:text=The%20similar%20skeletal%20morphology%20of,priscus.
- ↑ https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/628330-Bison-priscus
- ↑ https://www.nwttimeline.ca/stories/13650-year-old-steppe-bison/#:~:text=Steppe%20bison%20lived%20in%20an%20ecosystem%20that,%E2%80%93%20thus%20the%20name%20of%20the%20bison.
- ↑ https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/americanbison/taxonomy#:~:text=Scientific%20name:%20Bison%20comes%20from,%22%20meaning%20%22wild%20ox%22.
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priscus_(disambiguation)#:~:text=Priscus%20is%20the%20Latin%20word,artist%20and%20Greco%2DRoman%20wrestler
- ↑ https://www.uaf.edu/museum/press/spotlight/blue-babe/
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1040618220305024?via%3Dihub
- ↑ https://www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/blog/emma-harpham/restoring-balance-role-bison-rewilding#:~:text=Two%20bison%20species%20exist%20globally,vanishes%20along%20with%20large%20herbivores.
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379115001250?via%3Dihub
- ↑ https://www.livescience.com/56527-photos-bison-hybrid-cave-paintings.html
- ↑ https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.240317
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379121001402