Bison antiquus

Extinct species of mammal

Bison antiquus

Temporal range: Late Pleistocene

PreꞒ

Bison antiquus at the La Brea Tar Pits Museum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Mammalia
Order:  | Artiodactyla
Family:  | Bovidae
Subfamily:  | Bovinae
Genus:  | Bison
Species:  |

†B. antiquus

Binomial name
†Bison antiquus

Leidy, 1852

Synonyms

* Bison californicus
Rhoads, 1897

Bison antiquus is an extinct species of bison that lived in North America during the Late Pleistocene from over 60,000 years ago until around 10,000 years ago. Bison antiquus was one of the most common large herbivores in North America during this time period. It is the direct ancestor of the living American bison.[1][2]

## History of discovery

[edit]

The first described remains of Bison antiquus were collected at Big Bone Lick, Kentucky in Pleistocene deposits in the 1850s and only consisted of a fragmentary posterior skull and a nearly complete horn core.[3] The fossil (ANSP 12990) was briefly described by Joseph Leidy in 1852.[4] Although the original fossils were fragmentary, a complete skull of an old male was discovered in southern California and were described as a new species, B. californicus, by Samuel Rhoads in 1897,[5] but the species is considered synonymous with B. antiquus.[6]: 759–760 Since the 19th century, several well preserved specimens of B. antiquus have been discovered in many parts of the United States,[7] Canada,[8] and southern Mexico.[9]

## Distribution

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Bison antiquus is known from fossils found across North America south of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (whose southernmost extent is around the modern United States-Canada border), ranging from southern Canada (southern Alberta[8] and Ontario[10]) in the north, and Washington State[11] and California[12] in the west, southwards to Southern Mexico[9] and eastwards to South Carolina and Florida.[13]

## Description

[edit]

Compared to the living American bison (Bison bison), B. antiquus was considerably larger and had longer limbs, with the upper limbs being more slender while the lower limbs were more robust. The skull was also somewhat more elongate and less domed than that of American bison.[10] It reached up to 2.27 m (7.4 ft) tall, 4.6 m (15 ft) long, and a weight of 1,588 kg (3,501 lb), with an average of around 800 kg (1,800 lb).[14][15] The horns were also considerably larger than those of living American bison and differed somewhat in shape,[10] being on average 87 centimetres (2.85 ft) across tip to tip, but could be as much as 106.7 centimetres (3.50 ft) across.[8]

## Ecology

[edit]

Unlike living American bison, which are almost exclusively grazers,[16] dental wear analysis suggests that Bison antiquus was a variable mixed feeder (both browsing and grazing) with an adaptable diet depending on geographical location, with diets varying from strict grazing to mixed feeding.[17][18][12] Bison antiquus was likely preyed upon by large carnivores, which may have included the American lion (Panthera atrox),[19] the sabertooth cat Smilodon fatalis,[20] and dire wolves (Aenocyon dirus).[21]

## Evolution

[edit]

Around 195,000-130,000 years ago, the steppe bison (Bison priscus) crossed the Bering Land Bridge into North America.[22] In North America, B. priscus evolved into the large long-horned Bison latifrons, which then gave rise to B. antiquus sometime prior to 60,000 years ago.[23] B. antiquus became increasingly abundant in parts of midcontinent North America from 18,000 until about 10,000 years ago.[24]

## Relationship with humans

[edit]

A number of sites document the exploitation of Bison antiquus by Palaeoindian groups, such as those associated with the Clovis culture[25] and the later Folsom tradition.[26] The Folsom tradition in particular is thought to have been reliant on hunting bison.[27]

One of the best educational sites to view in situ semifossilized skeletons of over 500 individuals of B. antiquus is the Hudson-Meng archeological site operated by the U.S. Forest Service, 18 mi (29 km) northwest of Crawford, Nebraska. A number of paleo-Indian spear and projectile points have been recovered in conjunction with the animal skeletons at the site, which is dated around 9,700 to 10,000 years ago. The reason for the "die-off" of so many animals in one compact location is still in conjecture; some professionals argue it was the result of a very successful paleo-Indian hunt, while others believe the herd died as a result of some dramatic natural event, to be later scavenged by humans. Individuals of B. antiquus of both sexes and a typical range of ages have been found at the site.[28][29][30]

B. antiquus may have been hunted by Clovis people in North and South Carolina, based on blood residue from Clovis points.[31] At Jake Bluff in northern Oklahoma, Clovis points are associated with numerous butchered Bison antiquus bones, which represented a bison herd of at least 22 individuals. At the time of deposition, the site was a steep-sided arroyo (dry watercourse) that formed a dead end, suggesting that hunters trapped the bison herd within the arroyo before killing them.[25] Other arroyo trap sites include Cooper in northwest Oklahoma and Badger Hole also in Oklahoma, which are associated with Folsom points.[32][33] B. antiquus remains exhibiting butchery marks have been found at Ayer Pond on Orcas Island in Washington State.[34][11]

## Extinction

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The living American bison (Bison bison) is suggested to have evolved from Bison antiquus in central North America at the very end of the Pleistocene. The last populations of B. antiquus became extinct during the early Holocene, around 10,000 years ago.[23] Likely intermediates between the species are referred to as Bison "occidentalis".[8]

B. antiquus skull

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Animals of the La Brea Tar Pits Timeline". La Brea Tar Pits & Museum. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
2. ^ C. G Van Zyll de Jong , 1986, A systematic study of recent bison, with particular consideration of the wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Rhoads 1898), p.53, National Museum of Natural Sciences
3. ^ Gillette, D. D., & Colbert, E. H. (1976). Catalogue of Type Specimens of Fossil Vertebrates Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Part II: Terrestrial Mammals. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 25-38.
4. ^ Leidy, Joseph (1852). "July 6, 1852". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 6 (1): 117. Retrieved 1 June 2023 - via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
5. ^ Rhoads, S. N. (1897). Notes on living and extinct species of North American Bovidae. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 483-502.
6. ^ Lucas, F.A. (1899). "The fossil bison of North America" (PDF). Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 21 (1172): 755–771\. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.21-1172.755. Retrieved 1 June 2023 - via Smithsonian Institution.
7. ^ Wilson, Michael C.; Kenady, Stephen M.; Schalk, Randall F. (2009). "Late Pleistocene Bison antiquus from Orcas Island, Washington, and the biogeographic importance of an early postglacial land mammal dispersal corridor from the mainland to Vancouver Island". Quaternary Research. 71 (1): 49–61\. Bibcode:2009QuRes..71...49W. doi:10.1016/j.yqres.2008.09.001. ISSN 0033-5894. S2CID 129543840.
8. ^ a b c d Wilson, M.C.; Hills, L.V.; Shapiro, B. (2008). "Late Pleistocene northward-dispersing Bison antiquus from the Bighill Creek Formation, Gallelli Gravel Pit, Alberta, Canada, and the fate of Bison occidentalis". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 45 (7): 827–859\. Bibcode:2008CaJES..45..827W. doi:10.1139/E08-027.
9. ^ a b Jiménez-Hidalgo, E.; Cabrera-Pérez, L.; MacFadden, B.J.; Guerrero-Arenas, R. (March 2013). "First record of Bison antiquus from the Late Pleistocene of southern Mexico". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 42: 83–90\. Bibcode:2013JSAES..42...83J. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2012.07.011. S2CID 140592800.
10. ^ a b c McDonald, J. N., & Lammers, G. E. (2002). Bison antiquus from Kenora, Ontario, and notes on the evolution of North American Holocene bison. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, 93, 83–97.
11. ^ a b Kenady, Stephen M.; Wilson, Michael C.; Schalk, Randall F.; Mierendorf, Robert R. (March 2011). "Late Pleistocene butchered Bison antiquus from Ayer Pond, Orcas Island, Pacific Northwest: Age confirmation and taphonomy". Quaternary International. 233 (2): 130–141\. Bibcode:2011QuInt.233..130K. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.04.013.
12. ^ a b Jones, Davis Brent; Desantis, Larisa R.G. (January 2017). "Dietary ecology of ungulates from the La Brea tar pits in southern California: A multi-proxy approach". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 466: 110–127\. Bibcode:2017PPP...466..110J. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.11.019.
13. ^ Russell, Dale A.; Rich, Fredrick J.; Schneider, Vincent; Lynch-Stieglitz, Jean (May 2009). "A warm thermal enclave in the Late Pleistocene of the South-eastern United States". Biological Reviews. 84 (2): 173–202\. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.2008.00069.x. ISSN 1464-7931. PMID 19391200.
14. ^ Martin, J.M.; Mead, J.I.; Barboza, P.S. (April 2018). "Bison body size and climate change". Ecology and Evolution. 8 (9): 4564–4574\. Bibcode:2018EcoEv...8.4564M. doi:10.1002/ece3.4019. PMC 5938452. PMID 29760897.
15. ^ Wimberley, A.N. (September 2023). "Predicting body mass in Ruminantia using postcranial measurements". Journal of Morphology. 284 (10): e21636. doi:10.1002/jmor.21636. PMID 37708510.
16. ^ Rivals, Florent; Solounias, Nikos; Mihlbachler, Matthew C. (November 2007). "Evidence for geographic variation in the diets of late Pleistocene and early Holocene Bison in North America, and differences from the diets of recent Bison". Quaternary Research. 68 (3): 338–346\. Bibcode:2007QuRes..68..338R. doi:10.1016/j.yqres.2007.07.012. ISSN 0033-5894.
17. ^ Díaz-Sibaja, Roberto; Jiménez-Hidalgo, Eduardo; Ponce-Saavedra, Javier; García-Zepeda, María Luisa (November 2018). "A combined mesowear analysis of Mexican Bison antiquus shows a generalist diet with geographical variation". Journal of Paleontology. 92 (6): 1130–1139\. Bibcode:2018JPal...92.1130D. doi:10.1017/jpa.2018.19. ISSN 0022-3360.
18. ^ Rivals, Florent; Semprebon, Gina M. (May 2012). "Paleoindian subsistence strategies and late Pleistocene paleoenvironments in the northeastern and southwestern United States: a tooth wear analysis". Journal of Archaeological Science. 39 (5): 1608–1617\. Bibcode:2012JArSc..39.1608R. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.12.039.
19. ^ Fuller, Benjamin T.; Fahrni, Simon M.; Harris, John M.; Farrell, Aisling B.; Coltrain, Joan B.; Gerhart, Laci M.; Ward, Joy K.; Taylor, R.E.; Southon, John R. (August 2014). "Ultrafiltration for asphalt removal from bone collagen for radiocarbon dating and isotopic analysis of Pleistocene fauna at the tar pits of Rancho La Brea, Los Angeles, California". Quaternary Geochronology. 22: 85–98\. Bibcode:2014QuGeo..22...85F. doi:10.1016/j.quageo.2014.03.002.
20. ^ Christiansen, Per; Harris, John M. (December 2005). "Body size of Smilodon (Mammalia: Felidae)". Journal of Morphology. 266 (3): 369–384\. doi:10.1002/jmor.10384. ISSN 0362-2525. PMID 16235255.
21. ^ DeSantis, Larisa R.G.; Crites, Jonathan M.; Feranec, Robert S.; Fox-Dobbs, Kena; Farrell, Aisling B.; Harris, John M.; Takeuchi, Gary T.; Cerling, Thure E. (2019-08-05). "Causes and Consequences of Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinctions as Revealed from Rancho La Brea Mammals". Current Biology. 29 (15): 2488–2495.e2. Bibcode:2019CBio...29E2488D. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.059. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 31386836.
22. ^ Froese, Duane; Stiller, Mathias; Heintzman, Peter D.; Reyes, Alberto V.; Zazula, Grant D.; Soares, André E. R.; Meyer, Matthias; Hall, Elizabeth; Jensen, Britta J. L.; Arnold, Lee J.; MacPhee, Ross D. E.; Shapiro, Beth (28 March 2017). "Fossil and genomic evidence constrains the timing of bison arrival in North America". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 114 (13): 3457–3462\. Bibcode:2017PNAS..114.3457F. doi:10.1073/pnas.1620754114. PMC 5380047. PMID 28289222.
23. ^ a b Zver, Lars; Toškan, Borut; Bužan, Elena (September 2021). "Phylogeny of Late Pleistocene and Holocene Bison species in Europe and North America". Quaternary International. 595: 30–38\. Bibcode:2021QuInt.595...30Z. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2021.04.022.
24. ^ Scott, E.; Cox, S.M. (2008). "Late Pleistocene distribution of Bison (Mammalia; Artiodactyla) in the Mojave Desert of Southern California and Nevada". In Wang, X.; Barnes, L.G. (eds.). Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of Western and Southern North America. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. pp. 359–382\. ISBN 978-1-891276-27-9. No. 41 Science Series.
25. ^ a b Bement, Leland C.; Carter, Brian J. (October 2010). "Jake Bluff: Clovis Bison Hunting on the Southern Plains of North America". American Antiquity. 75 (4): 907–933\. doi:10.7183/0002-7316.75.4.907. ISSN 0002-7316.
26. ^ Meltzer, David J.; Todd, Lawrence C.; Holliday, Vance T. (January 2002). "The Folsom (Paleoindian) Type Site: Past Investigations, Current Studies". American Antiquity. 67 (1): 5–36\. doi:10.2307/2694875. ISSN 0002-7316. JSTOR 2694875.
27. ^ Bement, Leland C. (2003). "Constructing the Cooper Model of Folsom Bison Kills on the Southern Plains". Great Plains Research. 13 (1): 27–41\. ISSN 1052-5165. JSTOR 23804533.
28. ^ Davis & Wilson 1978, p. 128.
29. ^ Davis, L.B. and Wilson, M. (1978) "Bison procurement and utilization: A symposium," Plains Anthropologist. Volume 23, Issue 82, Part 2. p 128.
30. ^ Agenbroad, L.D. (1978) The Hudson-Meng site: an Alberta bison kill in the Nebraska high plains. University Press of America.
31. ^ Moore, Christopher R.; Kimball, Larry R.; Goodyear, Albert C.; Brooks, Mark J.; Daniel, I. Randolph; West, Allen; Taylor, Sean G.; Weber, Kiersten J.; Fagan, John L.; Walker, Cam M. (10 June 2023). "Paleoamerican exploitation of extinct megafauna revealed through immunological blood residue and microwear analysis, North and South Carolina, USA". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 9464. Bibcode:2023NatSR..13.9464M. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-36617-z. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10257692. PMID 37301945.
32. ^ Johnson, Eileen; Bement, Leland C. (July 2009). "Bison butchery at Cooper, a Folsom site on the Southern Plains". Journal of Archaeological Science. 36 (7): 1430–1446\. Bibcode:2009JArSc..36.1430J. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.02.007.
33. ^ Bement, Leland C.; Carter, Brian J.; Jelley, PollyAnna; Carlson, Kristen; Fine, Scott (February 2012). "Badger Hole: Towards Defining a Folsom Bison Hunting Complex along the Beaver River, Oklahoma". Plains Anthropologist. 57 (221): 53–62\. doi:10.1179/pan.2012.006. ISSN 0032-0447.
34. ^ Mackie, Quentin (24 April 2010). "The Bison at Ayer Pond on Orcas Island is archaeological". Northwest Coast Archaeology. Retrieved 1 June 2023.

## Further reading

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* Davis, L. B.; Wilson, M. (1978), "Bison procurement and utilization: A symposium", Plains Anthropologist Part 2, 23 (82)
* Ehlers, J.; Gibbard, P.L. (2004), Quaternary Glaciations: Extent and Chronology 2: Part II North America, Amsterdam: Elsevier, ISBN 0-444-51462-7
* Frison, George C. (August 2000), Prehistoric Human and Bison Relationships on the Plains of North America, Edmonton, Alberta: International Bison Conference
* Leidy, Joseph (1852b), Memoir on the extinct species of American ox, retrieved 20 September 2013

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bison antiquus.

* Conrad, Jim. "Ancient Bison foot fossil". The Loess Hills of the Lower Mississippi Valley. Backyard Nature. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
* Paleobiology Database - Bison antiquus(dead link)

Taxon identifiers

Bison antiquus|

* Wikidata: Q694570
* Wikispecies: Bison antiquus
* EoL: 4447749
* GBIF: 4970768
* iNaturalist: 201586
* NCBI: 304335
* Open Tree of Life: 931799
* Paleobiology Database: 44508