The strongest evidence to date that bison carry multiple small, but clearly identifiable, regions of DNA that originated from domestic cattle can be found in a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The researchers from the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences compared the genomes of bison and domestic cattle.
The people responsible for saving the bison from extinction in the late 1800s are also responsible for introducing cattle genetics into this species.
The findings from a series of studies published 20 years ago show that only a few bison herds were free of domestic cattle. The researchers have shown that even those herds are not free from hybridization.
All major public, private, tribal, and non-governmental organization bison herds have low levels of cattle genetics, according to a PhD student in the lab.
The new findings could make it easier to conserve bison since certain herds will no longer need to be isolated.
There is a legacy of crossbreeding.
The bison population crash of the 1800s resulted in multiple hybridization events between bison and cattle over the last 200 years.
Cattle ranchers in the late 1800s bred domestic cattle with bison in order to create a better beef-production animal. They failed to achieve their main purpose and the effort was largely abandoned.
William Hornaday and the American bison society were starting a national effort to save the bison, sounding the alarm that they were being driven to extinction. New bison populations and existing bison populations were established as a result of the national movement.
The only bison available to establish these new herds were from the private herds.
It is possible that bison would have become extinct without the private herds. The introduction of interspecies DNA resulted in remnant cattle footprints in the genomes of the entire contemporary species.
He said that they now have the tools to compare bison genetics to thousands of cattle and determine the level and distribution of domestic cattle genetics in bison.
It is important to remember that there are many examples of natural hybridization between closely related wildlife species, such as coyotes and eastern wolves, grizzlies and polar bears.
Two primary events, an extremely small bison population size and widespread interest in developing hybrid animals, changed and shaped the genomes of this species.
There are reactions from the bison community.
bison play a number of important and sometimes conflicting roles in society.
bison are raised as wildlife in state and federal parks and wildlife refuges, but most are owned by private ranchers and are raised for meat and fiber production.
They are icons of continental pride, as well as being religious and spiritual. bison were named the U.S. national mammal.
It is imperative that we agree to use the best available scientific information to make decisions moving forward, as bison are a priority to many different groups.
Many of the livestock herds are small with 100 animals or less. Turner is the largest private producer of bison, with over 45,000 animals spread across multiple states.
Mark Kossler, Turner's vice president of ranch operations, said that the company will use the new information to improve its efforts.
Turner Enterprises has used the bison genetic work of Texas A&M University for the last 20 years to structure genetic management of their maternal herds.
Knowing that the North American bison herd has widespread introgression of cattle DNA, though in small amounts, will allow our operations to structure future genetic management between our herds to maintain broad genetic diversity without the worry of cross contaminating herds that were perceived to be clean. The final answer to the question of bison genetic purity was provided by Texas A&M University.
The president of the Canadian bison association agreed that better information is always a positive step for their sustainable efforts.
He said that with the improved research tools, we can better understand the history of bison. The bison industry supports research and conserves high-quality meat for consumers to enjoy.
The information will give bison producers better information to manage their herds.
The National Bison Association is happy with the research findings as they help us understand the long and complicated history of the American bison. Genetics are a cornerstone of modern-day herd management, and is something the National Bison Association promotes heavily in its outreach and education to producers. It is our hope that bison producers will use this data and technology to improve their own herds while continuing to restore bison to their native landscape.
More information: Sam Stroupe et al, Genomic evaluation of hybridization in historic and modern North American Bison (Bison bison), Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09828-z Journal information: Scientific Reports Citation: Research documents domestic cattle genetics in modern bison herds (2022, May 10) retrieved 10 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-documents-domestic-cattle-genetics-modern.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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