Posted on 02/01/2007 9:39:53 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Bison poop has more to offer than a field-clearing smell. Genetic analysis of the feces has revealed there are two breeding populations of bison in Yellowstone National Park, according to a new study. The discovery has implications for how to manage the roughly 4,000 bison (called Bison bison by scientists), which were previously considered one giant breeding population within the park's boundaries... The poop itself doesn’t contain the DNA. When a bison chows down, the roughage scoots through the digestive tract before a less-recognizable chunk of it passes out of the gut. During the descent, cells lining the gut slough off and hitch a ride with the feces... Gardipee found stark differences in the maternal DNA. In Hayden Valley, where 2,000 bison reside, and in Grand Teton, she found only one maternal line called haplotype 6. In Lamar Valley and Mirror Plateau, the more than 900 bison showed a different mix of mitochondrial DNA. "This shows there is potentially a minimum of two different breeding groups in Yellowstone," Gardipee said.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Well, since there aren't any eastern Bison left around to stufy, I guess its a mute point.
Its ahrd to believe that a bison population adapted ot living in the eastern part of the U.S. didn't exhibit at least subspecific differences from the plains animal - that's a pretty big range for the same species.
The eastern wolf and cougar are recognized as different subspecies from the western animal I believe.
I took an archaeology class about American Indians. It was a intro class that touched on everything from paleo to modern, anywhere from the Rio Grande north. As an off the cuff comment the prof said that Bison bones are common in Plains Indian middens but aren't found in Woodland Indian middens. It's next to impossible to believe the native Woodland cultures wouldn't have Bison on the menu.
Bison did have a wide range and I'm not sure of the details but it's believed that at one time they were two different species that hybridized into the current single species. I know more about wolves and you are correct, there are several different subspecies of Canis lupus. Wolves are generally anti-social to stranger wolves so it's easy to imagine that as a reason for so many subspecies. Perhaps the difference with buffalo is that the herds never became truly segregated. There must have been gene flow across the plains.
Not the only way, but think of how much fun it must be! :')
A silent one? That kind of works, since there's no one around to say.
Look in the woods... heh heh heh
"the prof said that Bison bones are common in Plains Indian middens but aren't found in Woodland Indian middens. It's next to impossible to believe the native Woodland cultures wouldn't have Bison on the menu. "
Interesting. But they WERE in the east.
Read some early accounts of AMerican backwoodsmen hunting them for food. I'm sure they were a lot less common out east, but they WERE there.
Absence of evidence isn't proof of absence.
At first glance I thought the title read :Bishop poop, and I was going to warn you to take cover because the Catholics were coming to take you out. So glad I was wrong.
"Bison is a more accurate term than "buffalo"
Hey, the trappers, mountain men, and scouts like Kit Carson called them buffalo. That makes them buffalo, now and forever, and everybody who says "bison" is a four-eyed, pocket-protected, high-water-trousered, slide-rule-toting poindexter. So there. Nyaaa. (Raspberry)
I think you're out of medications. I suggest you renew immediately.
Can't take a joke, eh? Sorry I troubled you.
Oh .. wait .. that a Moose. Never mind.
Besides the obvious flames, you're gonna get, "what's a slide rule?"
btw, I still have TWO.
(but I'm older than dirt)
;-)
EEEEEwwwwww!!!! LOL! It's fun to go back to 3rd grade once in a while ain't it?
Hey, what's the deal?!? How'd you find out about my 3rd grade "incident"???
I didn't know about your third grade incident. I just thought everyone had one.
;') I figured as much. ;') Actually, I didn't have one, but this brings to mind a kinda disgusting incident someone else had a few years later (I was in 6th, the perp in 5th). I'd give the details, but it puts this whole bison poop thing into perspective. ;'D
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