In just 11 generations of pollination by two different species, plant evolution diverged drastically in height, flower fragrance, flower colour, and reliance on the pollinator for reproduction. A new study was conducted in a greenhouse instead of in the field in order to create an experimental system. Researchers observed how the plant Brassica rapa evolved when […]
1.6 billion-year-old red algae found in fossils
World’s oldest plant-like fossils, which the scientists believe are ancient red algae, were discovered in sedimentary rocks at Chitrakoot in central India. It’s difficult to ascertain that the fossils are, in fact, red algae, since there is no DNA material present, but researchers say the structure of the cells are consistent with this ancient plant […]
Cystic fibrosis patients live 10 years longer in Canada than U.S. 
A recent analysis of over 50,000 cystic fibrosis cases in U.S. and Canada revealed than the median survival age is greater in Canada by approximately ten years. Additionally, the risk of death was lower by 34% in Canada, after taking age and severity of disease into account. Researchers say the scope of their study didn’t […]
When did bison arrive in North America?
The bison’s arrival in North America from Asia was an ecologically significant event, but its timeline remained a mystery—until now. The mystery started to unravel when researchers found a bison fossil dating about 130,000 years old in northern Yukon—the oldest known fossil of the large mammal in North America. They compared the genomes of the […]
Scientists observe star in closest orbit around a black hole
In a cluster of stars 14,800 light years away from Earth, one star is involved in the closest orbital dance with a black hole ever observed, circling the black hole twice in an hour. This could be the tightest orbital distance between a black hole and a white dwarf star in the Milky Way, with […]
SMCC Webinar: Water in a Changing Climate
Water is our lifeline and also a humbling force of nature. As the climate changes, the decisions we make today regarding water will determine our country’s success over the coming decades. SMCC in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada brought together researchers and policy makers to describe what the future may hold for this essential […]
Details of a Neanderthal’s diet revealed through ancient plaque
Good thing our Neanderthal cousins didn’t have a good brushing regimen, because what’s left of their dental plaque allows us to know more about their diets, habits, and diseases. New research sequenced DNA from the plaque of five Neanderthal specimens. The findings revealed that Neanderthal diets varied greatly from region to region: for example, the individual from […]
“Liberation therapy” not an effective MS treatment
Expanding narrow veins from the brain and spinal cord is not effective in treating multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research coming out of British Columbia. The invasive surgical procedure, called “liberation therapy”, is performed by inserting a catheter into the vein and pushing out the vessel walls by inflating a small balloon. Thousands of […]
Tiny Peruvian frog is the first amphibian named after Sir David Attenborough
What do Gabonese flowering plants, flightless weavils and a black-eyed satyr butterfly species all have in common? All these recently discovered species were named in honour of the British broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough. But no amphibians to date bore the famous BBC broadcaster’s name. The honour goes to a newly discovered freshbelly frog […]
How exercise helps your cells stay young
Researchers have zeroed in on the benefits of exercise on a cellular level. A new study describes how high-intensity interval training (HIIT), such as biking and walking, helps cells make more proteins for their energy-producing mitochondria and their protein-building ribosomes. The upkeep of mitochondria and ribosomes effectively slows down aging at the cellular level. The […]
Seniors with dementia living in care facilities tend to have multiple chronic illnesses
Seniors with dementia tend to have a few other chronic illnesses, which increases the frequency of hospitalizations and emergency department visits. As life expectancy increases, new strategies must be created to address the unique needs of the aging population. Authors of a new retrospective study analyzed data collected in 2012 from 30,112 home-care clients with […]
80% of the world’s oceans would be affected by climate change by 2050
Four-fifths of the world’s marine ecosystems will be irreversibly damaged by 2050 if no immediate action is taken, a new study concludes. Researchers ran simulations to determine the effect of climate change on the main stressors of the ocean’s ecosystems—such as pH, temperature, oxygen concentration and food availability. If conditions remain as they are, in […]
208 new minerals, including two discovered in Canada, formed due to human activity
Human activity has been the cause of an immense number of changes on our planet; not the least of which is the development of new minerals, to which humans contributed more than any other event since the rise of oxygen on Earth over 2 billion years ago. A new study catalogs 208 minerals formed […]
What allows killer whales to see in underwater darkness?
While humans aren’t great at night vision, most of us can make out various objects in dim light thanks to a special light-sensitive protein rhodopsin. This chemical plays a much bigger role in the visual systems of ocean dwellers like whales, who travel through places where little light penetrates the depths of the water. A new study […]
Evidence of earliest life on Earth found in northeastern Canada
The earliest living organisms on Earth are thought to have lived in hydrothermal vents underwater. Researchers analyzed jasper rocks from the Nuvvuagittuq belt in Quebec that may have originated from such submarine vents, and found evidence of structures similar to other bacterial life in Earth’s early oceans. Authors say there are additional signs of biological activity […]
Genes dictate attachment in early-childhood development
Few things play a bigger role in a child’s development than the bond with their mother in their early days. But it turns out that the strength of that bond is determined genetically. Such are the results of an international study involving over 400 mother-child pairs. Scientistscollected genetic information and behavioral data from the infants. Half of the mothers […]
