Bison or Buffalo? Which is the Correct Name? Objective Students learn how names evolved and understand why plants and animals have common and scientific names. Background What is this animal and what does it have to do with Kansas? In fact, the first bison in Kansas were not like the ones you might see in North America today. The ancestors of today’s modern bison migrated to North America hundreds of thousands of years ago across the Bering Land Bridge between Siberia and Alaska. They weighed almost 3,000 pounds and their horns spanned over 6 feet! They shared the continent with other giant - Duration: 60 Minutes.