美洲野牛属属

分布

本属现代分布范围包括美国、加拿大南部、波兰及俄罗斯西南部。

形态

美洲野牛的体长有240至380公分。尾长90公分。体高195-200公分。体重500-1100kg。体型较小的欧洲野牛的体长则有250至350公分。尾长80公分。体高180-200公分。体重650-1350kg。

头骨顶部短宽。角的断面是圆形。

分类

• 美洲野牛 Bison bison
• 美洲平原野牛 Bison bison bison
• 美洲森林野牛 Bison bison athabascae
• †古中华野牛 Bison palaeosinensis
• 欧洲野牛 Bison bonasus
• 欧洲低地野牛 Bison bonasus bonasus
• †高加索野牛 Bison bonasus caucasicus
• †匈牙利野牛 Bison bonasus hungarorum
• †长角野牛 Bison latifrons
• †古风野牛 Bison antiquus
• †福尔松野牛 Bison occidentalis
• †西伯利亚野牛 Bison priscus

生态

栖息于森林与草原。约10至20头就会形成一群生活圈。有时，从而在繁殖季节更大规模的牛群。

食性为草食性，可食用的是草、树木的叶、果实等等。

繁殖形态为胎生。生产1回可以产出1头幼兽。

掠食者

由于野牛巨大的体型，它们并没有太多的天敌，少数的例外包括人、狼、美洲狮、棕熊及郊狼。狼通常会透过群体来狩猎野牛，但也曾有单一个体狩猎成功的纪录。棕熊及郊狼则会以野牛幼兽为食

。历史上以野牛为食的掠食者包括：狮、虎、斯剑虎、似剑齿虎、洞鬣狗及人属物种。

与人类的关系

由于人类的开发、栖息地的破坏、家畜间杂交等造成野生环境绝灭（欧洲野牛）、栖息地的数量急剧减少（美洲野牛）。前者是在人工饲育下的个体繁殖再导入、后者是在其栖息地以自然公园与自然保护区内进行不同程度的保护而逐渐回复。

A bison (pl.: bison) is a large bovine in the subgenus Bison (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised.

Of the two surviving species, the American bison, B. bison, found only in North America, is the more numerous. Although colloquially referred to as a buffalo in the United States and Canada, it is more closely related to yaks and cattle than to the true buffalo. The North American species is composed of two subspecies, the Plains bison, B. b. bison, and the generally more northern wood bison, B. b. athabascae. A third subspecies, the eastern bison (B. b. pennsylvanicus) is no longer considered a valid taxon, being a junior synonym of B. b. bison. Historical references to "woods bison" or "wood bison" from the Eastern United States refer to this synonym animal (and to their eastern woodland habitat), not to B. b. athabascae, which was not found in the region. Its European kind B. bonasus or wisent —also 'zubr' or colloquially 'European buffalo'— is found in Europe and the Caucasus, reintroduced after being extinct in the wild.

While bison species have been traditionally classified in their own genus, modern genetics indicates that they are nested within the genus Bos, which includes, among others, cattle, yaks and gaur, being most closely related to yaks.