Comparison of blood characteristics in plains bison, wood bison, and their hybrids

Abstract

Two hundred and eight blood samples were collected from four plains bison herds, one wood bison herd, and one herd that is assumed to be a hybrid between wood and plains bison. Haemolytic tests were made using 13 cattle blood typing reagents. Red cell carbonic anhydrase alleles were checked using electrophoresis. The frequencies of each blood trait within each of the six herds were determined. Comparisons of all possible pairs of herds for each trait were made and at least two significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in every case. Ten blood characteristics were used to discriminate among the six herds. Bison from Santa Catalina Island, California, were similar to those from the National Bison Range, Montana, and they jointly differed from the herd from Oklahoma and the three from Canada. The Canadian herds, which included wood bison, hybrid bison, and plains bison, were relatively similar to each other. Differences among the plains bison herds were at least as great as those among the two subspecies and their hybrids. These findings are discussed in relation to herd histories and to the variability among North American bison populations.

Mitochondrial Genome Analysis Reveals Historical Lineages in Yellowstone Bison

“…Approximately 6,600 plains bison from the Conrad herd were used to supplement the local population in Wood Bison NP in the 1920s [7]. Hybridization between plains and wood bison is well documented [26,27], which certainly confuses their current taxonomical status. Elk Island NP received 23 animals from Wood Bison NP in 1965.…”

Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis of Bison bison and bison–cattle hybrids: Function and phylogeny

“…Although still somewhat phenotypically distinct, the subspecies designation has been challenged by many (Burton, 1962;Corbet, 1978;van Gelder, 1977;Wilson and Reeder, 1993) and it has been argued that the two are merely ecotypes and not subspecies (Geist, 1991). Furthermore, blood typing, RFLP, and microsatellite DNA analysis have indicated that plains and wood bison are not distinct enough to be considered subspecies (Bork et al, 1991;Peden and Kraay, 1979;Wilson and Strobeck, 1999).…”

Conservation Genetic Analysis of the Texas State Bison Herd

“…Currently, there are 2 recognized subspecies of bison, wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) and plains bison (Bison bison bison), based on physical size and pelage characteristics (Hall 1981;McDonald 1981), although the division is challenged by evidence of nongenetic (environmental) causes of phenotypic variation (Geist 1991) and the absence of measurable genetic differences (Peden and Kraay 1979;Polziehn et al 1996;Ward et al 1999;Wilson and Strobeck 1999). Krumbiegel and Sehm (1989) used analysis of pelage, physical size, and horn characteristics from pre-1900 illustrations to further split the plains bison into 2 subspecies: southern plains bison (Bison bison bison) and northern plains bison (Bison bison montanae).…”