Past climate changes, population dynamics and the origin of Bison in Europe

A paleogenetic analysis of bison remains from the last 50,000 years reveals that climate changes significantly influenced the population dynamics of European bison species. The study identified three distinct populations—two steppe bison (B. priscus) and one wisent (B. bonasus)—that alternately occupied Western Europe, with the modern wisent emerging from a refuge in the southern Caucasus post-Last Glacial Maximum. Ancient DNA analysis of 57 mitogenomes showed severe genetic diversity reduction in the Holocene and suggested that the genetic affiliation between wisent and cattle likely stems from incomplete lineage sorting rather than gene flow. The research also highlights temperate Western Europe as a suitable habitat for wisent reintroduction, supported by evidence from cave paintings dating to ~36,000 years ago.

Massilani, D., Guimaraes, S., Brugal, J.-P., Bennett, E. A., Tokarska, M., Arbogast, R.-M., Baryshnikov, G., Boeskorov, G., Castel, J.-C., Davydov, S., Madelaine, S., Putelat, O., Spasskaya, N. N., Uerpmann, H.-P., Grange, T., & Geigl, E.-M. (2016). Past climate changes, population dynamics and the origin of Bison in Europe. BMC Biology, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-016-0317-7