Integrated evidence-based extent of occurrence for North American bison (Bison bison) since 1500 CE and before: dataset

To illustrate the conservative maximum extent of occurrence of bison, we created a concave hull using observations occurring over the last 450 years ( n = 2,946 observations) which is the broadly accepted historical benchmark at 1500 CE. While this distribution represents a historical extent of occurrence — merely delineating the maximum margins of the near-continental distribution — it does not replace a density-based approach reconstructing potential historical range distributions that identify core and marginal ranges.

However, we envision the contained observations of this database will contribute to further research in the increasingly evidence-based disciplines of bison ecology, evolution, rewilding, management, and conservation.