This study evaluated the effect of increasing the proportion of bison relative to cattle inoculum on fermentation and microbial populations within an artificial rumen (Rusitec). The experiment was a completely randomized design with a factorial treatment structure (proportion cattle:bison inoculum; 0:100, 33:67, 67:33, and 100:0) replicated in two Rusitec apparatuses (n = 8 fermenters). The exp...

Brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus occurs in the free-ranging bison (Bison bison) of Yellowstone and Wood Buffalo National Parks and in elk (Cervus elaphus) of the Greater Yellowstone Area. As a result of nationwide bovine brucellosis eradication programs, states and provinces proximate to the national parks are considered free of bovine brucellosis. Thus, increased attention has been focus...

Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF), a fatal disease of a large number of different ruminants, is caused by infection with either a blue or black wildebeest-associated alcephaline herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) or the sheep-associated ovine herpes virus 2 (OvHV-2).Wildebeest and sheep are the natural hosts of these viruses respectively. Both these forms of MCF are of great economic importance, particularly...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato DNA in a group of 120 wild bison (Bison bonasus) from the Bialowieza Primeval Forest in eastern Poland. The PCR technique revealed the presence of 16S RNA of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in the blood of 16 out of 120 examined animals. DNA amplification by means of primers SC1 and SC2 gave a prod...

Elucidating genetic influences on bison growth and body composition is of interest, not only because bison are important for historical, cultural, and agricultural reasons, but also because their unusual population history makes them valuable models for finding influential loci in both domestic cattle and humans. We tested for trait loci associated with body weight, height, and bison mass index...

Gregarious mammals generally synchronize birthing by adjusting the time of estrus. Berger (Ecology 73: 323-329, 1992) proposed that American bison (Bison bison) females in good condition are capable of adjusting gestation length, as well. He hypothesized that females in good condition that breed late in the season can shorten their gestation length so as to give birth during the birthing peak. ...

Biology-Inspired techniques for Self-Organization in dynamic Networks (BISON) is a three-year Shared-Cost RTD Project (IST-2001-38923) funded by the Future and Emerging Technologies initiative of the Information Society Technologies Programme of the European Commission. It runs from January 2003 until December 2005. The objective of BISON is the design and implementation of algorithms for manag...