Bradshaw Foundation Cave Art Paintings News
Bradshaw Foundation Cave Art Paintings News
Bradshaw Foundation Cave Art Paintings News
Bradshaw Foundation - Latest News
Ice Age Cave Art reveals hybrid Higgs Bison
Wednesday 19 October 2016

An article on sci-news.com - Higgs Bison: Mysterious Hybrid of Bison and Cattle Hidden in Ice Age Cave Art - reports on a recent study led by University of Adelaide researcher Julien Soubrier which reveals that prehistoric European cave artists recorded a previously unknown hybrid species of bison and cattle on cave walls more than 15,000 years ago.

Higgs bison revealed in Ice Age rock art

Charcoal drawing of a steppe bison in Chauvet. Image: Carole Fritz.

This hybrid species originated over 120,000 years ago through the hybridization of the aurochs (Bos primigenius) - an extinct species of ox that inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa - and the extinct steppe bison (Bison priscus). The hybrid species eventually became the ancestor of the extant European bison (Bison bonasus).

Co-author Prof. Alan Cooper, Director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide, explained how rare such a hybridization event is in mammals.

"The genetic signals from the ancient bison bones were very odd, but we weren't quite sure a species really existed - so we referred to it as the Higgs Bison."

Charcoal drawings of bison in the Salon Noir chamber of the Niaux cave.

Genetic material extracted from radiocarbon-dated bison bones and teeth found in caves across Europe, the Urals, and the Caucasus was studied in order to trace the genetic history of the populations. A distinctive genetic signal emerged from many fossil bison bones, which was quite different from the European bison or any other known species.

 
Article continues below
 

Radiocarbon dating revealed that the hybrid species dominated the European record for thousands of years at several points, but alternated over time - as climate changed - with the steppe bison, which had previously been considered the only bison species present in Late Ice Age Europe.

Rock art experts in France agreed that there were indeed two distinct forms of bison art in Ice Age caves, and their ages match those of the different species. The cave paintings depict bison with either long horns and large forequarters ? more like the?American bison (Bison bison), which is descended from the steppe bison ? or with shorter horns and small humps, more similar to the European bison, also known as wisent.

Higgs bison revealed in Ice Age rock art of Chauvet

Cave painting example of steppe bison-like and wisent-like morphs. Left: reproduction from Lascaux cave (France), from the Solutrean or early Magdalenian period (20,000 years ago). Right: reproduction from the Pergouset cave (France), from the Magdalenian period (17,000 years ago). Image: Julien Soubrier et al.

Once formed, the new hybrid species seems to have successfully carved out a niche on the landscape, and kept to itself genetically. It dominated during colder tundra-like periods, without warm summers, and was the largest European species to survive the megafaunal extinctions.

The research was published recently in the journal Nature Communications;

Early cave art and ancient DNA record the origin of European bison

Julien Soubrier, Graham Gower, Alan Cooper
Nature Communications 7, Article number:13158 (2016)
doi:10.1038/ncomms13158


Look at more rock art from the Chauvet cave:
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/chauvet/index.php
Look at more rock art from the Niaux cave:
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/niaux/index.php

Cave Painting
Capturing the art of Cosquer
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 30 May 2022
Hand Stencils in Chhattisgarh
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 19 January 2022
New U-series dating of rock art in China
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 06 January 2022
New approach to research in Australia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 06 December 2021
Color begets life
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 29 November 2021
Sulawesi rock art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 25 October 2021
Protecting Utyetye rock art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 12 July 2021
A lockdown obsession with cave paintings
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 24 May 2021
What Sulawesi cave art reveals
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 20 April 2021
Cosquer cave replica underway
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 01 April 2021
Oldest date for Aboriginal rock art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 23 February 2021
Oldest cave painting found in Indonesia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 14 January 2021
Chauvet discovered 26 years ago today
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 18 December 2020
Response to 'discovery' claims in Colombia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Sunday 06 December 2020
Drug use and human creativity
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 26 November 2020
Cave art discovered in Thailand
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 07 October 2020
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation
on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation on social media for news & updates
Follow the Bradshaw Foundation
on social media for news & updates
If you have enjoyed visiting this website
please consider adding a link © Bradshaw Foundation
 
 
ROCK ART NETWORK
Rock Art Network Bradshaw Foundation Getty Conservation Institute
CAVE PAINTINGS
Capturing the art of Cosquer
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 30 May 2022
Hand Stencils in Chhattisgarh
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 19 January 2022
New U-series dating of rock art in China
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 06 January 2022
New approach to research in Australia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 06 December 2021
Color begets life
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 29 November 2021
Sulawesi rock art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 25 October 2021
Protecting Utyetye rock art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 12 July 2021
A lockdown obsession with cave paintings
by Bradshaw Foundation
Monday 24 May 2021
What Sulawesi cave art reveals
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 20 April 2021
Cosquer cave replica underway
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 01 April 2021
Oldest date for Aboriginal rock art
by Bradshaw Foundation
Tuesday 23 February 2021
Oldest cave painting found in Indonesia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 14 January 2021
Chauvet discovered 26 years ago today
by Bradshaw Foundation
Friday 18 December 2020
Response to 'discovery' claims in Colombia
by Bradshaw Foundation
Sunday 06 December 2020
Drug use and human creativity
by Bradshaw Foundation
Thursday 26 November 2020
Cave art discovered in Thailand
by Bradshaw Foundation
Wednesday 07 October 2020
Bradshaw Foundation Donate Friends
Support our work & become a
Friend of the Foundation
 
 
Bradshaw Foundation Facebook
 
Bradshaw Foundation YouTube
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store
Bradshaw Foundation iShop Shop Store