Steppe Wisent
Encyclopedia
The Steppe Bison or steppe wisent (Bison priscus) was a bison
found on steppes throughout Europe
, Central Asia
, Beringia, and North America
during the Quaternary
. It is believed that it evolved somewhere in South Asia
which would have it appearing at roughly the same time and region as the aurochs
with which its descendants are sometimes confused.
The steppe wisent became extinct in the late Pleistocene
, as it was replaced in Europe by the modern wisent
species and in America by a sequence of species culminating in the American bison
.
The steppe wisent was over two metres tall and resembled the modern bison species. The tips of the horns were a meter apart, the horns themselves being over half a meter long.
Steppe wisent occasionally appear in cave art, notably in the Cave of Altamira, and have been found in mummified form.
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
found on steppes throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, Beringia, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
during the Quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
. It is believed that it evolved somewhere in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
which would have it appearing at roughly the same time and region as the aurochs
Aurochs
The aurochs , the ancestor of domestic cattle, were a type of large wild cattle which inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa, but is now extinct; it survived in Europe until 1627....
with which its descendants are sometimes confused.
The steppe wisent became extinct in the late Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, as it was replaced in Europe by the modern wisent
Wisent
The wisent , Bison bonasus, also known as the European bison or European wood bison, is a species of Eurasian bison. It is the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe; a typical wisent is about long, not counting a tail of long, and tall. Weight typically can range from , with an occasional big...
species and in America by a sequence of species culminating in the American bison
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
.
The steppe wisent was over two metres tall and resembled the modern bison species. The tips of the horns were a meter apart, the horns themselves being over half a meter long.
Steppe wisent occasionally appear in cave art, notably in the Cave of Altamira, and have been found in mummified form.