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Why did the Ural Mountains not divide steppe geography and history?

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Map showing the extent of the Eurasian steppes, highlighted in green, stretching from eastern Europe through Ukraine and southern Russia, across Kazakhstan, and into Mongolia and northern China. The map labels the Western Steppe and Eastern Steppe regions and includes major geographic features, countries, and ancient sites within the steppe zone. — the Steppe Extent of the Eurasian steppes.

The Ural Mountains do not divide steppe geography and history because the grasslands of the Eurasian Steppe extend continuously south of the mountain range, spanning both sides of the Ural River.1

While the Urals are traditionally cited as a physiographic boundary between Europe and Asia, this distinction is considered meaningless in the context of the steppe. The region functions as one vast, unified grassland where the landscape allowed for easy cross-country movement for anyone on horseback. Because the environment remained consistent across this area, the mountains did not act as a barrier to the movement of peoples, the spread of nomadic cultures, or the development of commerce. Consequently, the steppe has historically functioned as a single, interconnected region rather than two separate entities divided by the mountain range.213