Bison

The exhibit focuses on bison from their origins in the tropics of Europe around five and a half million years ago. Over time, bison migrated across norther Asia to the eastern portions of Russia, only moving about three miles per year, along with the mammoth during the ice ages. 

Bison priscus, also known as the steppe bison can be seen on display next to the mammoth skull. It is the oldest bison species. Over the next two million years, another branch of bison emerged, Bison latifrons, or the giant bison. This can be seen over the top of the right entrance. This creature had a horn span as long as nine feet. Ours has a span of around five and a half feet.

Both of these species migrated over the Bering Land Bridge between Russia and Alaska, where they found new land and new vegitation to graze on. A new species, Bison crassicornis (large skull on the wooden plaque before you), emerged 750,000 years ago. At this time, Bison priscus was diminishing. The two remaining species were B. latifrons and B. crassicornis.

Until about 150,000 years ago, these two species dominated the New World. A short time later, B. latifrons also diminished. This left B. crassicornis with B. antiquus (the skull on the left plaque). B. crassicornis and B. antiquus went extinct around 11,000 years ago. This gave rise to the modern bison, Bison bison bison.