Researchers have found a new source for a fungus-fighting chemical: the pine trees and blueberry bushes of the Acadian forest. Griseofulvin is a compound originally isolated from a mould in the same family as those which produce penicillin. It’s used to fight fungal infections in humans and animals, but has also been used as a fungicide […]
Les abeilles exposées aux pesticides sont moins productives
Une nouvelle étude confirme que la productivité des abeilles ouvrières chute lorsqu’elles sont exposées à des pesticides comme les néonicotinoïdes. Des chercheurs ont utilisé la radio-identification (RFID) afin de suivre 259 abeilles de 40 colonies sur 4 semaines. Les abeilles exposées aux néonicotinoïdes rapportaient moins de pollen à la ruche plus elles vieillissaient, alors que […]
Exposure to pesticides impairs bees’ foraging ability
A new analysis confirms that exposure to pesticides – including one in the neonicotinoid (neonic) class – has a negative impact on bees’ foraging ability. The study used radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to track 259 bees from 40 colonies over 4 weeks. Bees exposed to the neonic pesticide either by itself or mixed with another […]
Un indice UV record enregistré en Amérique du Sud
Une équipe de chercheurs ont mesuré l’indice UV le plus élevé jamais enregistré sur la surface de la Terre. Le 29 décembre 2003, l’indice UV a atteint 43 au sommet du volcan Licancabur (à 5 917 mètres d’altitude) et près de Laguna Blanca (à 4 340 mètres d’altitude) en Bolivie. En comparaison, l’indice UV dépasse […]
Record levels of solar ultraviolet measured in South America
A team of researchers has measured the highest level of UV radiation ever recorded on Earth’s surface. On December 29, 2003, the UV index peaked at 43 at the summit of Licancabur volcano (5,917 meters high) and near Laguna Blanca (4,340 meters high) in Bolivia. In comparison, the UV index in Toronto never exceeded […]
Les pesticides corrélés avec le déclin des oiseaux aux Pays-Bas
Des chercheurs néerlandais ont trouvé une corrélation entre l’utilisation d’un pesticide de la famille des néonicotinoïdes, l’imidaclopride, et le déclin des populations d’oiseaux insectivores. Cette étude montre que dans les secteurs des Pays-Bas où les concentrations d’imidaclopride dans les eaux de surface étaient les plus élevées – plus de 20 nanogrammes par litre – les […]
Link drawn between pesticide use and bird declines
Researchers in the Netherlands have drawn a link between use of the neonicotinoid (neonic) pesticide imidacloprid and declines in insect-eating birds. The study found that in areas of the Netherlands where imidacloprid concentrations in surface water were highest – more than 20 nanograms per litre – bird populations tended to decline by 3.5 per cent […]
Donner un rein est sécuritaire, même après 55 ans
Les personnes âgées de 55 ans et plus et en santé peuvent donner un de leur rein sans problème selon une nouvelle étude. Les auteurs ont suivi 3 368 donneurs américains pendant 8 ans entre 1996 et 2006 et ont remarqué qu’il ont une espérance de vie et une santé cardiovasculaire comparable aux non-donneurs. Ils […]
Kidney Donation is safe for older adults
Healthy kidney donors aged 55 years and older enjoy similar longevity and cardiovascular health than similar non-donor adults, a new study shows. The authors matched 3368 American donors to older healthy non-donors and followed them for nearly 8 years between 1996 to 2006 and found out that that donors were not at a higher risk […]
Prédire la tolérance aux pesticides d’une espèce est maintenant possible
Les biologistes ne connaissent pas la résistance aux pesticides de toutes les espèces animales sur la planète. Des chercheurs ont donc créé un modèle informatique capable d’utiliser la phylogénie, soit la relation de parenté associée à l’évolution des espèces, pour prédire la tolérance d’une espèce donnée aux pesticides. Cela leur permet d’utiliser des données d’études […]
Predicting species tolerance to pesticides
A new computer model could help biologists predict how various species will respond to pesticides. Because of varying responses to pesticides between species – including their tendency to develop tolerance – it’s costly and difficult not only to judge their potential effectiveness but also to manage the unintended consequences in non-target species. The new model […]
How salmon evolve to beat the heat
Researchers have discovered a link between egg size of chinook salmon and their ability to deal with warmer temperatures. The team captured spawning salmon and measured examined the genetic and maternal effects acting on the ability of offspring to tolerate heat; they found that mothers with larger eggs have more thermally tolerant offspring. As egg […]
Electrical charges help geckoes stick
Researchers have gained new insight into how geckos are able to walk on almost all surfaces, even upside down. Previous studies have attributed the stickiness of gecko toe pads to a type of force called van der Waals attractions that acts on the tiny hairs – called setae – covering the bottom of geckos’ toe […]
Ancient hedgehogs and tiny tapirs in BC
Newly described fossils from the eocene epoch – between 50 and 53 million years ago – found in British Columbia’s Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park provide evidence of hedgehogs and tapirs, two species that today are absent from North America. The fossils help fill an important gap as the only other North American fossil localities yielding […]
Hawks and owls have trouble as single dads
Some male hawks and owls have trouble adapting their behaviour in order to raise chicks on their own, a new study finds. In breeding pairs, the male is the primary provider of prey for their young while females tear the prey into right-sized chunks and also brood the chicks. (i.e. use their bodies to shield […]
Night-time squawking helps track bird migration
New audio recordings confirm that Lake Erie is not a barrier to bird migration, but that birds pick their routes so as to stay above islands if possible. Migratory birds fly at night, so the team used audio recordings from the north shore of Lake Erie and from Pelee Island — in the middle of […]