Description

Bison antiquus
Late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean)
Rancho La Brea Formation
Maricopa Tar Pits
Kern County, California, USA
79mm maxilla with three teeth from the famous Tar Pits of California

Mammal, Bovidae.

Bison antiquus is an extinct species of bison that is most likely the ancestor of the modern species, Bison bison. The arrival of Bison from Asia into North America is now considered a marker for the beginning of the late Pleistoncene (Rancholabrean age) in North America. B. antiquus spread as far south as northern Mexico and all the way to Florida during the rest of the Pleistocene.

Bison teeth are actually rather uncommon at the Maricopa site and most specimens are badly broken. Here is a rare maxilla section with three teeth preserved.

And remember, it’s a bison – not a buffalo.