Bison Cranial Morphology and Diet Data from the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming

114 historic and 10 modern bison specimens from the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA, were analyzed by Amy Phillips. The dataset includes up to 26 morphological measurements and stable isotope values (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) for assessing changes before and after the 19th-century population bottleneck. Results offer insight into past bison dietary ecology and inform modern conservation strategies.

Use Cases

• Analyze morphological variation in bison populations based on 26 cranial measurements.
• Assess dietary ecology and changes over time based on stable isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) data.
• Compare historic and modern bison specimens to understand the impact of the 19th-century population bottleneck.
• Inform modern bison conservation and herd management strategies based on paleobiological insights.

Strengths

• Includes 124 total specimens (114 historic, 10 modern) for comparative analysis.
• Contains up to 26 morphological measurements per specimen for detailed shape analysis.
• Integrates stable isotope data (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) to link morphology with diet.
• Explicitly focuses on a defined geographic region (Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA).

Limitations

• Row count and specific column definitions are unknown, requiring manual inspection after download.
• The dataset is small at 15.7 KB, indicating limited scope and sample size.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred from the description.

Provenance

Source

Amy Phillips via figshare.

Collection Method

Morphological measurements and stable isotope analysis of bison specimens.

Time Range

Late Holocene to modern.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-18 07:40:39.

Geography

Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA.