A fossil Bison antiquus from Puebla, Mexico and a new minimum age for the Valsequillo fossil area

The genus Bison originated in Indochina, and was mainly a Holarctic taxon, known from the North America, initially with Bison latifrons from the early Rancholabrean, and several other species, including the recent one B. bison. Here a new record of Bison antiquus based on several calvaria and horn cores from Valsequillo Basin, Puebla, Mexico is documented. Based on taxonomic characters we identify two morphologies of B. antiquus among the studied fossils: the “antiquus” morphology and the “occidentalis” morphology. A radiocarbon age of 7151 ± 70 years BP obtained from a calvarium of B. antiquus with “antiquus” morphology, representing the youngest record in North America for this morphology, as well as the first evidence of an early Holocene record for the species in Mexico. •Two different “antiquus” morphology are identified in Puebla, Mexico.•A radiocarbon age of 7,151 ±70 years BP obtained from a calvarium of B. antiquus “antiquus”.•The first evidence of an early Holocene record of Bison in Mexico is documented.