What specific feeding advantage does the wood bison’s massive head provide when reaching forage in winter?
Answer
It allows the wood bison to use its enormous head as a snowplow.
The specialized structure of the wood bison’s shoulder hump, positioned anteriorly, supports powerful musculature that directly interacts with how the animal feeds, especially when deep snow impedes access to food. This configuration enables the bison to employ its large head as an effective snowplow. By sweeping aside deep, powdery snow accumulations, they can successfully expose the underlying grasses and sedges that constitute their primary diet. This mechanical advantage prioritizes broad-front snow clearing needed in deep winter conditions over the more compact stance suited for shorter, crusted snows encountered by plains bison.
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