Confusion concerning wood and plains bison.

PositionEndangered Species

DNA analysis does not support the designation of wood bison and plains bison as different subspecies, according to research results from a University of Alaska, Fairbanks, scientist. Wood bison from northwest Canada and plains bison from southern Canada and the Lower 48 have been designated as different subspecies, although scientists do not all agree that they should be. Wood bison are listed as an endangered subspecies, while plains bison are not.

"This is important because the Endangered Species Act allows subspecies to be listed as species," points out Matthew Cronin, professor of animal genetics. "The ESA is mandated to use the best available science, so thorough assessment of the subspecies status is necessary."

Cronin and his collaborators found that the animals in some plains bison herds are genetically more different from each other than some plains bison are from wood bison, yet those herds are not identifiable as two distinct groups. They also found that wood and plains bison are much more genetically similar than cattle subspecies and breeds, such as Angus and Texas Longhorn cattle.

The bison herds Cronin studied are located in Alaska, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, New York, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories. They include plains bison in Alaska at Delta Junction, Chitina, Copper River, and Farewell, and wood bison at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

Cronin emphasizes that the term "subspecies" denotes a formal taxonomic category, and that evolutionary...

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