A recent analysis of feathers collected from five duck species indicated a boreal habitat origin place, and confirmed the importance of the Saskatchewan River Delta as a key migration stopover for North American waterfowl. This research involved extensive collaboration between scientists and hunters. Hunters collected feather samples from 236 ducks around the delta during migration […]
Natural and anthropogenic influences led to mountain snow loss in Western United States 
Both natural and anthropogenic factors have led to the decrease of snowcaps on the Western US mountains, a recent study concludes. Study authors simulated snowpack conditions by using a climate model in two configurations: one with contributions only from natural variability; and a second with contributions from both natural variability and anthropogenic activities. Researchers found the […]
Late Pleistocene extinction of large animals driven by excessive moisture
Analysis of ancient bones holds the key to the cause of extinction of many megafaunal animals—such as giant sloths and saber-toothed cats—over 11,000 years ago. A new study suggests that a sudden rapid increase in moisture, possibly resulting from melting permafrost and glaciers, occurred right before these large animals became extinct. An international team of […]
More children are diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease in Canada than in most countries in the world
Rates of inflammatory bowel disease in Canadian children are among the highest in the world, and they have risen annually over the past decade. A new study identified children under 16 in five Canadian provinces who were diagnosed with IBD between 1999 to 2010. In those 11 years, cases of IBD in children five and […]
Retreating glacier is making a Yukon river disappear
The melting of a massive glacier is changing the course of a Yukon river, new study finds. Meltwater from the retreating Kaskawulsh Glacier, which used to flow through the Slims River in Kluane National Park, is now flowing through a different river. This is the first modern case of “river piracy,” a phenomenon where the […]
Coral reef death forces local fish species to learn new behaviours
Death and degradation of coral reefs bring about a major lifestyle change for the entire ecosystem; some local fish are then learn new behaviours from their peers, as results of a new study suggest. Researchers studied six species of damselfish, two of which lived in live coral, two inhabited rubble (dead coral), and others could […]
Fossil leads to recognition of birdlike reptiles that preceded early dinosaurs
Certain physical traits previously thought to be unique to dinosaurs evolved much earlier, a new study suggests. Fossil analysis of a newly described species, named Teleocrater rhadinus, places this carnivorous animal in a new spot on the evolutionary tree, directly after the split between birds and crocodilians. Teleocrater marks the first of an entirely new clade […]
How gentoo penguins faced extinction three times—and survived
Over the past 7000 years, gentoo penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula have been wiped out to near extinction by a volcanic eruption—not once, but three times, according to new research. The study also suggests it took the colony between 400 and 800 years to recover from each event. Researchers made this startling discovery while analyzing […]
How distantly-related populations of sticklebacks evolved the same solution to their unique environments
Three-spined stickleback fish have inhabited freshwater lakes in the Haida Gwaii archipelago off the coast of British Columbia for thousands of years. A new study that combines genetic analysis with a 19-year-long selection experiment tells the story of how the sticklebacks evolved to adapt their vision to each of their unique lakewater conditions. Some of […]
Why the internet couldn’t agree on the colours of “The Dress”
The image of a simple dress on a hanger went viral in 2015, with thousands of internet users trying to figure out whether the dress was black with blue stripes or white with gold stripes. Once the owner came forward to settle the question (it was confirmed by the retailer as blue and black), many […]
How ocean dynamics affect deep-sea invertebrates in hydrothermal vents
Distribution of mobile and non-symbiotic species of invertebrates living in hydrothermal vents is affected by ocean tides and winter surface storms, new research suggests. Using a brand new technique, researchers are able to provide first-ever evidence of these populations being affected by ocean dynamics even at deep-sea levels, in habitats over 2 kilometres from the […]
The island of Britain was separated from Europe by two glacial lake floods
Britain used to be connected to mainland Europe by a chalk bridge, which extended from southeast England to northwest France. New research suggests that two episodes of erosion created the Dover Strait, as opposed to a single glacial lake spillover, as previously thought. New evidence supports the existing theory of the initial erosion around 450,000 years […]
Size and growth rate for sharks determined by their habitat
How big a young shark grows up to be, and how fast it grows, may depend on where it feeds. Researchers observed a population of juvenile sharks in a nursery that contained both a high-risk habitat (open seagrass beds) and a low-risk one (protected mangroves). Sharks that preferred to feed in the mangroves were generally smaller and grew […]
Moss piglets’ secret survival weapon
Tardigrades are among the most resilient species on the planet: they can survive in the deep sea, in nearly-absolute zero temperatures, and even in space. Also known as water bears or moss piglets, their survival in the most extreme of conditions has been mind-boggling for generations of scientists. Now, researchers believed they have solved a […]
Climate shaped the evolution of the human nose
It looks like temperature and humidity of a region may have stuck their noses in the evolution of the human smelling organ. Researchers examined the size and shape of noses on people of West African, South Asian, East Asian, and Northern European descent. They say the discovered differences are too great to have occurred on chance […]
Biofuels help reduce emissions from airplanes at cruise conditions
A mixture of biofuel and conventional fuel reduces airplane emissions by 50 to 70% compared to conventional fuel, according to the first ever in-flight study of biofuel aerosol emissions. Researchers measured aerosol emissions from an aircraft flying behind the test plane, a technique that provided more accurate results than ground tests. Aerosols released by plane engines in-flight […]
