Indian-born women who already have two daughters are significantly more likely to have a son after moving to Canada, which the researchers and the author of an accompanying commentary believe shows “prenatal sex selection is likely present among first-generation immigrants to Canada from India and provide strong evidence that suggests induced abortions are being used […]
Call to use more fiber in fiber research studies
Eating more fiber may help restore diversity in our gut microbes, according to researchers at the University of Alberta. In a commentary the researchers advocate for strategically increasing dietary fiber intake to close the “fiber gap” most Westerners have in their diet. They pointed to evidence showing a more diverse microbial population benefits not only […]
Celebrate the International Year of the Pulse every day and who know’s what you’ll lose
Eating just one serving of beans, peas, chickpeas, or lentils a day could help contribute to a modest weight loss, according to a meta-analysis of clinical trials. Researchers founding eating 130 grams (or ¾ of a cup) of the food group known as pulses each day led to just over half a pound of […]
Salmon like the dark side
Salmon living in tanks with darker backgrounds are typically less aggressive than those living in a lighter coloured environment, according to new research. The researchers divided 100 Coho Salmon into 10 different tanks, each with different colour patterns, and monitored their behaviour. They found that the salmon prefered the darker areas, and were less aggressive […]
Revising the age of the Hobbit
A new paper suggests that “hobbits” or Homo floresiensis (nicknamed the hobbit for its physical stature) lived longer ago than previously thought, and that they may not have encountered modern humans. Researchers used new chronological and stratigraphic information from the Liang Bua cave in Indonesia to make this claim. Previous dates suggested floresiensis used the […]
Which chick to feed? How birds choose
Which chick gets fed first in a brood seems to depend more on the environment than a chick’s begging or its size. That’s what researchers report after reviewing data on 143 different bird species. When food is plentiful and supplies are stable, birds will usually feed the chicks who beg the most and are […]
How the hummingbird turns
Hummingbirds control their turning velocity and radius using body orientation and asymmetrical wingbeats, according to a new study. Using a feeder tracking experiment researchers found the birds control their turning velocity by altering their physical orientation, and control their turning radius by beating their wings at slightly different speeds. Researchers filmed six adult male […]
Learning from the naked mole rat
When most mammals, including humans, are in a low-oxygen environment they begin to hyperventilate to increase their oxygen uptake. However this is an energetically costly way to increase oxygen levels in the body. The naked mole rat is unique from other mammals; when it is exposed to hypoxia (low oxygen levels) it does not begin […]
Recovery is possible for global fisheries
The world’s declining fisheries could recover in less than a decade if management reforms are implemented in time, according to researchers. Researchers looked at 4,500 fisheries in the world, representing about 78 per cent of the reported global catch using state of the art bio-economic models. The researchers found that while the majority of fisheries […]
Stop screening for developmental delay
The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recommends against using a screening test to identify developmental delay in young children who show no apparent signs of delayed development. The recommendation applies to children aged one to four years old who have no visible signs, or whose parents have no concerns, of delay. Developmental delay […]
A new spin on the Moon
The moon once rotated on a different axis than the one it does today, according to researchers. Polar hydrogen deposits are located near the Moon’s poles, however their location is inconsistent with where ice would be expected to form with the current thermal environment of the moon. Researchers found that the Moon’s polar hydrogen deposits […]
Recipe for a waste-free world
A series of comment pieces discuss the circular economy – where industrial outputs become inputs so that goods at the end of their life turn into resources for other uses. In the first article Walter Stahel, who coined the concept of the circular economy, argues it is time to shift to a “resource-miser” economy. He […]
Conservations silver bullet
Removing invasive mammals has major benefits to an island ecosystem, according to a new study. As this type of conservation effort is expensive, researchers set out to understand the impact of this strategy. The benefits they saw “highlight the importance of this conservation measure for protecting the world’s most threatened species.” Original research paper published in the Proceedings of […]
Tracking RNA in real time
By modifying the CRISPR-Cas9 system, typically used for genetic editing, researchers are able to visually track the movement of RNA in living cells. The researchers believe this could be used to study disease-related RNA processes. Many diseases are related to errors in RNA and RNA transcription, such as different cancers and autism. In the future […]
A bird’s eye view of birds
The view seen by humans (left) and drones (right) when trying to count seabird populations from either the ground or the air. (Image credits: Jarrod Hodgson) A new study compares the accuracy of monitoring of sea bird colonies by UAVs and traditional human ground counts and demonstrates that population estimates can be improved with this […]
Use ’em or lose ’em – The case for teaching navigational skills
Schools should teach navigational and map reading skills to ensure future generations do not lose their innate ability to navigate in the world, so says Roger McKinlay, former president of the Royal Institute of Navigation in the United Kingdom. In this commentary, the author argues that turning to technology erodes our innate ability to orientate, […]