MadSci Network: Zoology |
Nothing! They are the same animal, and the confusion with their common names illustrates why scientists prefer using the internationally recognized scientific name, Bison bison. The preferred common name, the American bison, in this case is the same as both the genus and the species name.
There is also a European bison, scientific name Bison bonasus, that lives in the Caucasus region of Russia and in Poland in the Bielowesz Forest.
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Zoology.