DNA reveals a hybrid Ice Age bison species depicted in ancient cave art | Hacker News Reader

DNA reveals a hybrid Ice Age bison species depicted in ancient cave art

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50 pointsbiot13 comments

Apparently if you collide two species of ruminant with enough energy you get the Higgs Bison. :-)

It always seemed kind of shocking to me that you could cross-breed cattle and bison. However, according to Wikipedia[1]:

The bovine family (Bovidae) diverged from the common ancestral line with water buffalo and African buffalo about 5 to 10 million years ago. Thereafter, the family lineage of bison and taurine cattle does not appear to be a straightforward "tree" structure as is often depicted in much evolution, because evidence of interbreeding and crossbreeding is seen between different species and members within this family, even many millions of years after their ancestors separated into different species.

So it sounds like they've been colliding all along.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison#Evolution_and_genetic_hi...

I like that the cross-breeds are called "beefalo" on the page you linked to.

Well, that ruins it:

"Buffalo beeffalo buffalo Buffalo beeffalo buffalo Buffalo beeffalo."

Like humans. We're crossbred with Neanderthal, denisovan, and who knows what else relict DNA - some (very much) more "out there" theories see protohumans back-crossing with wild pigs.

Which then proceeds to give mass to other Bison. And thus religion started.

> DNA reveals the Higgs bison

I had to read that title several times.

I read it once, and was immediately duped.

Bahh! I read as, "DNA reveals the Higgs Boson". Was mighty intrigued.

I think this is the only reason any of us landed here...

lol, possibly the only reason this landed on Top

It's a shame that the original title isn't used here.

I'm curious about Higgs now. Was this one person, who had an interest in both extinct bovines and projected subatomic particles?

I thought the same, but according to the article the Bison was actually named as sort of tongue-in-cheek reference to the particle.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com