Science

Extinct bovine species discovered in Siberia reveals lost relative of yaks

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 05/10/2026, 15:10:24 UTC.

Briefings

A 2026 study published in Current Biology identified an extinct bovine species from southern Siberia, distinct from modern yaks, which diverged from a common ancestor over hundreds of thousands of years prior to the last ice age. The discovery challenges previous assumptions about the evolutionary history of Asian ungulates and highlights a previously unknown branch of the bovine family tree.

Key points

• The extinct species inhabited southern Siberia during and before the last ice age, predating modern yaks by hundreds of thousands of years.
• DNA analyses confirmed the species followed a separate evolutionary path from modern yaks, indicating a distinct lineage that survived until recent times.

Context and limitations

The study relies on ancient DNA from limited Siberian sites, and the exact timing of the species' extinction relative to the last ice age remains uncertain.

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