wisent

The forest, part of it contained within a national park, is also home to the largest colony of European bison, or wisent, as well as to species that are rare or even extinct elsewhere.

No matter whether it’s black, white, brown or wisent, whether it’s in North Dakota or on his second ranch in Tennessee, Sebastian raises his animals for eventual slaughter and consumption.

It took a reach into the past using ancient DNA and cave art to unveil the wisent’s origin story.

Filling the gap in the wisent's evolutionary history helped explain why two distinct types of bison — one with long, one with short horns — have been found in ancient cave paintings.

Filling the gap in the wisent’s evolutionary history helped explain why two distinct types of bison — one with long, one with short horns — have been found in ancient cave paintings.