Helping Today’s Bison with Yesterday’s DNA

A new genetic study is giving fresh hope for one of North America’s most iconic animals: the bison. Researchers have analyzed DNA from 115 ancient bison, some of which lived tens of thousands of years ago, to understand how these animals survived past changes in climate and habitat. Their findings could help protect the bison that still roam today.

The bison is North America’s largest land mammal and an important part of the continent’s natural and cultural history. At one time, tens of millions of bison lived across the plains, supporting whole ecosystems and Indigenous communities. But in the late 1800s, hunting and habitat loss pushed them to the edge of extinction, leaving only a few hundred animals alive.

Thanks to conservation efforts such as protected areas and breeding programs the bison population has slowly grown again. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of bison, but many live in small, isolated herds, and their genetic diversity is limited. This is why understanding their DNA, both past and present, is so important.

In the new study, scientists examined DNA from bones and other remains of 115 ancient bison found at different locations across North America. These animals lived during different time periods, including warm and cold phases of Earth’s climate.

By comparing ancient DNA with modern bison DNA, researchers could see how bison populations changed over thousands of years. They found that bison have survived major environmental shifts before, but their genetic diversity rose and fell depending on how much suitable habitat they had. When grasslands were wide and connected, bison populations were larger and more genetically diverse; when habitats shrank, diversity dropped.

Genetic diversity means having many different versions of genes within a species. It helps a species adapt to new threats like diseases, changing climate, or loss of food. If most animals are very closely related, the species is more vulnerable one disease or change can affect them all in the same way.

The study shows that ancient bison populations with higher genetic diversity were better able to survive changing environments. This is an important lesson for today’s conservationists: protecting and increasing genetic diversity in modern bison could make them more resilient in the future.

So how can ancient DNA help be living bison right now? It helps scientists identify which modern herds have the most genetic diversity and which are more inbred. It can guide breeding programs so that animals from different herds are mixed to restore lost diversity. It shows what kinds of habitats supported healthy bison populations in the past, which can inform land management today.

In short, by learning how bison survived past climate changes and habitat shifts, researchers can design better strategies to help them face modern challenges like global warming, habitat fragmentation, and human development.

The story of the bison is both tragic and hopeful. Humans nearly wiped them out, but humans also helped bring them back through strong conservation efforts. Now, modern science is adding a new tool: ancient DNA.

The study of 115 ancient bison reminds us that the past is not just history it is a guide. If we use this knowledge wisely, we can help ensure that bison continue to roam the plains for generations to come.

This study was originally published in the journal Science on August 6, 2026. The full paper is titled “Paleogenomic insight into the collapse, recovery, and management of American bison” by Jonas Oppenheimer and colleagues.