Genetic Variation and Differentiation of Bison (Bison bison) Subspecies and Cattle (Bos taurus) Breeds and Subspecies

Cronin, Matthew A.; MacNeil, M. D.; Vu, Ninh V.; Leesburg, V. L. Reisenauer; Blackburn, Harvey D.; Derr, James N.

doi:10.1093/jhered/est030

Cited by 23 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Even though European bison are not domesticated, their genetic background [ 22 ] and morphology [ 23 ] is similar to domestic cattle Bos taurus , and the livestock sector has considerable experience with BCS schemes [ 24 , 25 ]. Today, the entire fertility and welfare management in professional dairy herds is based on such condition estimates.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Assessment of a Body Condition Score Scheme for European Bison (Bison bonasus)

Zielke

Wrage‐Mönnig

Müller

2018

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Simple SummaryEurope’s largest terrestrial mammal, the European bison (Bison bonasus), has been successfully restored after the species had become extinct in the wild. In various reintroduction projects, captive bred European bison have been released into different habitats. Vigorous monitoring efforts are necessary to document how well the animals adapt to their new environment. In this study, we present a scheme that was developed for the observation of the body condition of adult European bison. Unbiased people with different professional backgrounds were asked to apply this scheme. While additional research is necessary to further validate the scheme, it was easy to use and covered the essential body traits. Therefore, it can be a helpful management tool.AbstractResettlement projects of the strongly threatened European bison (Bison bonasus) require a monitoring phase to assess both population status and habitat quality. Schemes of animal body condition scores (BCS) are robust tools to meet this requirement in practice. However, so far, no BCS scheme has been designed for European bison. Here, we suggest a body condition score scheme based on the extent of soft tissue around bony structures. The scoring system was developed with scores ranging from 1 (emaciated) to 5 (obese). Condition scores can be deduced after visually assessing the European bison both from the side and behind. Robustness of the scheme was evaluated: Unbiased people from different professional backgrounds were asked to assess the BCS of photographed semiwild European bison under field conditions and results were compared. Results demonstrate the suitability of the method. Nevertheless, variability of the results among assessors illustrates the necessity for training as well as for further research to validate the scheme as a true measure of physiological condition. We discuss the prospects and limits of a broad use of this scheme within the European bison community, and recommend the BCS scheme as a management tool.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Assessment of a Body Condition Score Scheme for European Bison (Bison bonasus)

Zielke

Wrage‐Mönnig

Müller

2018

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…With a MaxEnt ecological niche modelling approach, we identified a large core area of highly suitable bison habitat from central Alberta, Canada, southward along the Rocky Mountains into the Great Plains, falling within the historic bison distribution mapped by Allen [3] and Roe [4] (Fig 1, 3). Of the two recognized ecotypes of North American bison [85,86], the MaxEnt model largely encompasses the range of the migratory "plains" variant that occurred in high numbers on the grasslands of the southern Great Plains. Traditional ecological knowledge and numerous accounts of early journalists provide evidence of plains bison herds numbering in the tens of thousands [30,87,88].…”

Section: Processes Limiting Historic Bison Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Buffalo on the Edge: Factors Affecting Historical Distribution and Restoration of <em>Bison bison </em>in the Western Cordillera, North America

Farr¹,

White²

2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The historic western edge of bison (Bison bison) range and the ecological processes that caused its formation are frequently debated with important implications for bison restoration across North America. We test the hypothesis that a combination of bottom-up habitat suitability and top-down harvest pressure from humans were important processes in forming the western edge of bison distribution. Using 9,384 historical journal observations from 1691 – 1928, we employ MaxEnt ecological niche modelling to identify suitable bison habitat across the Western Cordillera from bottom-up climatic, land cover, and topographic factors. We then use mixed-effect logistic regression to test if bison occurrence in journal records can be in part explained by the abundance of Indigenous humans, wolves, or grizzly bears, in addition to MaxEnt-derived habitat suitability. We find support for our hypothesis because of the limited suitable habitat in the Rocky Mountains that likely prevented westward bison dispersal from core habitat, and there was a negative relationship between bison occurrence and human harvest pressure. On this basis, we propose that intensive human harvest from large populations in the Western Cordillera, subsidized by other wildlife, salmon, and vegetation resources, is an underappreciated socioecological process that needs to be restored alongside bison populations. Co-managing bison with Indigenous people will also mitigate the adverse effects of overabundant bison and maximize the ecological and cultural benefits of bison restoration.

show abstract

“…BACKGROUND-Today, there are two, albeit disputed, subspecies of Bison (Cronin et al, 2013): 1) Bison bison bison are historically found in the Great Plains and elsewhere throughout much of North America, and 2) Bison bison athabascae are historically found north of 498N latitude in Canada and Alaska. This project does not address subspecies or species but focuses on the animal at the generic level.…”

Section: Resumen-los Fósiles Dementioning

confidence: 99%

Late Pleistocene and HoloceneBisonof the Colorado Plateau

Martin

Mead

2017

The Southwestern Naturalist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Genetic Variation and Differentiation of Bison (Bison bison) Subspecies and Cattle (Bos taurus) Breeds and Subspecies

Cited by 23 publications

References 35 publications

Development and Assessment of a Body Condition Score Scheme for European Bison (Bison bonasus)

Development and Assessment of a Body Condition Score Scheme for European Bison (Bison bonasus)

Buffalo on the Edge: Factors Affecting Historical Distribution and Restoration of <em>Bison bison </em>in the Western Cordillera, North America

Late Pleistocene and HoloceneBisonof the Colorado Plateau

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About