Data from: Genetic variation and differentiation of extant bison (Bison bison) subspecies and cattle (Bos taurus) breeds and subspecies

The genetic relationship of American plains bison (Bison bison bison) and wood bison (B. b. athabascae) was quantified and compared with that among breeds and subspecies of cattle. Plains bison from nine herds (N=136), wood bison from three herds (N=65), taurine cattle (Bos taurus taurus) from fourteen breeds (N=244), and indicine cattle (B. t. indicus) from two breeds (N=53) were genotyped for 29 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Bayesian cluster analyses indicate three groups, two of which are plains bison and one of which is wood bison with some admixture, and genetic distances do not show plains bison and wood bison as distinct groups. Differentiation of wood bison and plains bison is also significantly less than that of cattle breeds and subspecies. These and other genetic data and historical interbreeding of bison do not support recognition of extant plains bison and wood bison as phylogenetically distinct subspecies.

本研究对美洲平原野牛（Bison bison bison）与美洲森林野牛（B. b. athabascae）的遗传关系进行了定量分析，并与牛属各品种及亚种间的遗传关系开展对比。研究共对9个种群的平原野牛（共136个样本）、3个种群的森林野牛（共65个样本）、14个品种的普通牛（Bos taurus taurus，共244个样本）以及2个品种的印度牛（B. t. indicus，共53个样本）进行了29个多态性微卫星位点的基因分型。贝叶斯聚类分析结果显示共存在3个类群，其中2个为平原野牛类群，1个为存在一定遗传混合的森林野牛类群；遗传距离分析并未显示平原野牛与森林野牛为两个独立的类群。森林野牛与平原野牛间的遗传分化程度亦显著低于牛各品种及亚种间的遗传分化。上述遗传数据结合野牛的历史杂交事件，均不支持将现存的平原野牛与森林野牛认定为系统发育上独立的亚种。