Giant Bison

Because only skulls and horns of this species have been found well preserved, the size of B. latifrons is currently not clearly known. Based on leg bones, the mass of B. latifrons has been estimated to be 25-50% larger than that of modern B. bison, making it undoubtedly one of the largest-ever ruminants. The known dimensions of the species are on average larger than any extinct and extant bovids, including both the American bison and the European bison, making it the largest known bovid. Overall, it was probably around 4.75 m (15.6 ft) in length and stood about 2.3 m (7.5 ft) or up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) tall at the withers. With an estimated weight of 1,250 kg (2,760 lb), or possibly over 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) in very large males. The horns of B. latifrons measured as great as 213 cm (84 in) from tip to tip, compared with 66 cm (26 in) to 90 cm (35 in) in modern Bison bison.

Bison latifrons ranged across much of North America, extending from southern Mexico to southern Canada, as far west as California and as far east as Florida and the American Midwest. Though it was primarily a grazer, B. latifrons exhibited a high degree of dietary flexibility and adaptability across its range. Isotopic analysis from specimens found in Florida suggests a largely grazing based diet, while isotopic analysis of specimens from Clark Quarry, Georgia, suggest that these specimens had a mixed feeding diet (both browsing and grazing), with their diet varying according to the seasons.