On October 22, during the 2024 China Archaeology Conference on Flora and Fauna held in Zhengzhou, reporter Han Zhangyun explored a groundbreaking discovery made by Chinese researchers. Fossils of bovine animals unearthed from the Qinghai Gonghe Basin and the Hebei Nihewan Basin have led to the identification of two species of the shrub ox, marking the first time these creatures have been found on the Eurasian continent. This finding suggests that shrub oxen may have originated in Eurasia before migrating to North America.

Bai Weipeng, a lecturer at Hebei Normal University’s School of History and Culture, elaborated on the research findings. The fossils discovered in both basins date back to the Early Pleistocene, approximately 2 million years ago. The identified species include the mountain shrub ox and an undetermined species within the shrub ox genus. One of the most distinctive features of these animals is the forward-twisting growth of their horns.

Data from research indicates that the earliest fossils of shrub oxen discovered in North America date to the late Early Pleistocene, around 1.1 million years ago. “The strata of the shrub ox fossils found in China are older than those discovered in North America, which likely suggests they originated in Eurasia before migrating to North America,” Bai explained. Ecological and morphological studies of the fossilized teeth and limb bones indicate that the undetermined species from the Nihewan Basin shares similar dietary and ecological traits with the mountain shrub ox found in North America. These animals primarily inhabited mountainous regions and fed on leaves and shrubs, with the north side of the Nihewan Basin’s Xiong’er Mountains providing a suitable environment for their survival.

Phylogenetic research reveals that shrub oxen and musk oxen form a sister group, highlighting a closer evolutionary relationship between the two compared to other bovine species. Bai added, “Building on earlier research, we expanded our focus to include the evolution of Quaternary musk oxen, which can be divided into two branches: high-horned and low-horned. These branches migrated from Eurasia to North America during different time frames, specifically from the late Early Pleistocene to early Middle Pleistocene, and late Middle Pleistocene.” This research not only sheds new light on the diversity and evolution of musk oxen but also holds significant implications for understanding the faunal exchanges between Eurasia and North America during the Quaternary period.