Baikal Yak
Bos (Poephagus) baikalensis
🐂
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Pecora
Bovidae
Bos
Bos (Poephagus) baikalensis
The extinct Baikal Yak was a massive Ice Age relative of the modern wild yak, adapted to the cold steppe-mountain ecosystems of Pleistocene Siberia. It likely grazed across the glacial grasslands near Lake Baikal and the Altai ranges, thriving in subarctic climates before its disappearance at the end of the Pleistocene.
Description
The Baikal Yak was a large bovine species that inhabited the mountainous regions of Southern Siberia, including the Altai-Sayan, Transbaikalia, and Central Mongolia. Fossil evidence indicates that it was significantly larger than the contemporary wild Tibetan yak (Bos mutus). The Baikal Yak possessed a robust frame, sturdy legs, and a dense, shaggy coat adapted to cold, dry mountain-steppe environments. Its long hair provided insulation against harsh climatic conditions, similar to modern yaks. The horns were likely long and curved, aiding in defense against predators.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
1000
1.8
2.7
3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
While there is no direct archaeological evidence of systematic human hunting, Bos (Poephagus) baikalensis coexisted with Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers in Siberia. Early humans may have opportunistically hunted or scavenged them using stone-tipped spears and ambush techniques in mountain valleys and frozen river corridors.
Its size and thick hide would have made it a valuable but difficult prey item, yielding meat, bone, and hides for clothing and shelter.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Ust’-Kova Cave, Siberia – Late Pleistocene deposits contain megafaunal bone fragments including bovids associated with human tools (~15,000–12,000 BP).
Denisova Cave, Altai Mountains – Bovidae remains intermixed with Paleolithic artifacts (~30,000 BP).
Makarovo Site, Southern Siberia – Pleistocene yak bones discovered in human occupation layers (~13,000 BP).
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
15000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Asia
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
6
Est. Renderable Fat
60
kg
Targeted Organs
Hump/backfat, marrow, mesenteric fat
Adipose Depots
Hump/backfat, mesenteric, perirenal; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Hump/backfat & marrow
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4