The return of the horse - Wild New World - BBC history

[DavijoBoy]

Wow, people sure know how to jump to conclusions and take things out of context.

[Sonoraman]

Oh, so now, according to the video, the horse and Native Americans are responsible for wiping out the buffalo and not the Buffalo Hunters who worked for the railroads? Very interesting twist on revisionist history...

[1larvie]

@Sonoraman  No

[N00bcrunch3r]

@hgykyggbhy

Oh, thanks.

[N00bcrunch3r]

@hgykyggbhy

Hyenadon was not even related to Hyenas.

Source: Walking With Prehistoric Beasts: Episode 3, Prehistoric Predators--Razor Jaw.

[N00bcrunch3r]

@hgykyggbhy

Yes I know. Did you know cheetahs originated in North America?

[MingTheMerciful]

@N00bcrunch3r so are lions

[N00bcrunch3r]

@MingTheMerciful

I know of no evidence that Lions originated in North America. Just because Lions made it here does not mean they originated here.

[MingTheMerciful]

@N00bcrunch3r The American Cheetah are simply just Cougar that evolve cheetah like physiology to chase the fastest herbivore on earth, the proghorn antelolope which are evidence of covergent evolution

[N00bcrunch3r]

@MingTheMerciful

Wait! We were talking about lions, not cheetahs!

[lifes40123]

i wonder what would have happened if horses didnt die out in the americas thousands of years ago. there could have been greater civilizations in america

[N00bcrunch3r]

@lifes40123

No, the America's had plenty of substitute animals: the moose could replace the horse, the tapir could replace the pig, the llama could replace the camel, and the turkey easily replaced the chicken.

[lifes40123]

@N00bcrunch3r tapir only lived in south america... llama only lived in andes... turkey only lived in northern north america... so did moose... the llama was tamed...

[N00bcrunch3r]

@lifes40123

I know, so were the dog, turkey, and deer. Tapirs also lived in central America, and Turkeys lived as far south as New Mexico.

[N00bcrunch3r]

@lifes40123

Oh yes, you should also check out the curly horse. Nobody knows where it came from, but some have suggested that it might have been a leftover, prehistoric survivor from the last ice age.

[mastifiorulamitongla]

...and thus, brokeback mountain was born!

[Bubble734]

poor bisons :( I like horses :)

it wasn't the horsey's fault it was the humans!!

[kooodeal]

Cattle meat tastes better than bison,so big change was destined anyway.

[lexxwolfen]

Bison is too gamey and dries out easily since its so lean.

[Rossdhu16]

The Native or indigenous people of North America are not responsible for the destruction of the Bison. It was the Europeans, now known as Americans did. There were bounties offered by the United States Government as this was felt to be a way to 'control' the Native Indians. Take away their food. Supply. I have seen pictures of the prairies of dead bison. The meat left to rot. The Indians respected the bison. They took only what they needed. The White man respected no one.

[shadowkitty56]

The bison still exists, dearie. C. 1904, people began to notice what was once abundant just 30 years prior was almost gone. So, in 1906, the Bronx Zoo shipped 15 bison to Oklahoma to save the species.

[shadowkitty56]

In the 1980's, the U.S. government decided to re-establish bison EAST of the MS river in Arkansas as a test, a different subspecies. It was a resounding success, and there has been talk of letting them recolonize the Appalachians (they've already done this with wapiti in Kentucky.) The number of living bison is actually closer to the MILLIONS and the only things that stand in the way from coming back is 1) roads and 2) cattle lobby (but this is weakening anyway.)

[shadowkitty56]

Today, 20,000 of their descendants roam the plains, with more in the U.S. than Canada (almost none exist in Saskatchewan for example.) Interest in keeping the bison in natl and state parks is very high as well as interest in keeping it as a stock animal/keeping it in private herds is very big too. Out west, the Lakota (Dances w. Wolves people) have big private herds roaming on big ranches (think county sized) as well as a few in the Southwest (AZ, NM, etc.)

[shadowkitty56]

If you want to talk of real slaughter, look to the wisent: the European cousin of the American bison. The numbers are so bad that only 2 Y chromosomes remain for the entire species, making them very vulnerable to disease. Though human numbers decline in both the Great Plains and in Europe, it is in the latter where there is much more red tape over its reintroduction: there is for ex. enough room in Eastern Germany for them but there are no plans to import them from Poland.

[zipper179]

@shadowkitty56 I'm new on the internet; and, you, sir, have just educated a much older person(65). You've just made retirement just much more fun..Listening to someone like you makes a guy want to live that much longer..If knowledge was sustenance, then you, my friend, just fed a very hungry person, and quenched his intellectual thirst..

[shadowkitty56]

Additionally, there is a farm out in Wisconsin which has a reputation for white bison births: something sacred to the Natives. Every spring, anticipation is in the air just in case a descendant of the bison called Miracle is pregnant: the coming together of humanity into a oneness of heart, mind, and spirit is special indeed, and possibly a sign of things to come, not just for the Sioux, but for us all.

[jamesmfleming]

@Rossdhu16 The video actually goes on to state that fact.

[Rossdhu16]

@jamesmfleming Some people need to see it in writing so it has a full impact James.

[druidess01]

Though I'm not an expert on the matter, you might have added the biggest reason as to why MILLIONS of bison were killed...maybe too unpleasant for history to mention or a different subject but hey get it straight. thanks.

[shadowkitty56]

Actually, part of the reason was the building of trains and roads. In 1869, the railroad in the East was linked to routes in the West and it was a disaster for bison: there are records of them being shot from the train and others where they were hit by them.