Fish species living in the North Atlantic and Pacific may interchange as sea ice melts and the North West and North East passages open up. This future interchange could impact commercial fishing, as new high-latitude fisheries become more viable, and in local ecosystems as new species move in and old ones are forced out. Using […]
How heritable is autism?
A new study shows how complex it is to understand autism from a genetic point of view. Researchers sequenced the genomes of 85 families with two children who are both affected with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They found that the majority (around 70%) of affected siblings did not share common mutations. Greater than 100 susceptibility […]
How eating salt reprograms the brain
Researchers have described a mechanism by which high salt intake can lead to higher blood pressure. Using rats, they found that salt causes biochemical changes in neurons that release vasopressin, a hormone that increases arterial blood pressure. Salt disables the natural safety mechanism that prevents vasopressin from being released in the blood, thus allowing blood […]
Turn abruptly if you are hunted by a goshawk
Goshawks hunt by fixing their eyes on their prey. Their method is so effective that the hawks pursuit of their target can be over in seconds. Using cameras mounted on the heads of the birds, researchers analysed the raptors’ pursuit strategy from a birds-eye perspective. They found that Goshawks used different strategies at different stages […]
Synthetic nutrients and GMOs
Researchers have developed genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that depend on synthetic nutrients to survive. Two teams, one from Yale University and another from Harvard, tweaked the genetic code of modified bacteria whose growth is restricted by the expression of multiple essential genes that depend on synthetic amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. When the […]
Une mutation génétique à l’origine d’une maladie rare qui frappe les Inuits au Québec
Des chercheurs ont identifié la mutation génétique responsable d’une maladie rare qui frappe 1 Inuits sur 2500 dans le nord du Québec. Cette maladie nommée glycogénose type IIIa cause des hypoglycémies et des retards de croissance tout en s’attaquant aux muscles et au foie. Pour ce faire, les auteurs ont séquencé le génome de 5 enfants inuits et ont identifié […]
Une langue se diversifie même dans une population isolée
L’évolution d’une langue suit l’évolution génétique d’une population donnée au fil du temps révèle une nouvelle étude. Toutefois, une langue peut changer de manière spontanée dans des populations isolées. Comme les gènes qui changent au cours du temps par le processus des mutations, les phonèmes qui composent une langue, comme le son /k/ dans “cou” et “kiwi”, peuvent […]
Language evolves faster in isolated populations
Changes in genetics and language follow similar patterns as human population disperse, however language is able to spontaneously change in isolated populations. Both genetics and language change over time as small mutations in genes or phonemes, like the ‘k’ sound in ‘cat’ or ‘skill’, accumulate or are lost. Additionally both language and genetics change by […]
Rare shared genetic mutation behind Inuit disease
Scientists have found the gene mutations responsible for a rare disease which impairs the function of the liver and muscles in about 1 in 2500 Inuits in northern Quebec. Called glycogen storage disease type IIIa, this sickness causes a buildup of glycogen, a complex sugar, in the body. This in turn produces low blood sugar […]
Defending durum wheat against Fusarium Head Blight
Researchers may have found the key to protecting durum wheat from Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), which leaves it unsuitable for human consumption or livestock feed. Common wheat has been bred to develop a resistance to this fungal disease, however durum wheat, which is used to create pastas, has no defence against it. Researchers analyzed two […]
The Emerald ash borer can attack other tree species
New research shows that the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle from Asia which has killed millions of ash trees in Canada, can also attack the white fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus). This small shrub, while native to the southeastern United States, is planted ornamentally in Ontario and Quebec. Researchers have found that white fringetrees in three […]
Is there any benefit to vitamin waters and energy drinks?
While vitamin waters and energy drinks sold in Canadian supermarkets are promoted as being healthy because they provide additional nutrients (vitamins B6, B12, C and niacin) to buyers, new research shows that young Canadian adults are already consuming enough of these supplements. The study’s authors also found that product labels on the drinks also promoted […]
Fossil discovered by young boy in PEI shines light on the origin of turtles
Researchers have discovered a new genus and species of reptile from a 300-million-year-old fossil from Prince Edward Island. The fossil was found in PEI by a young boy and its family, and the species was named in his family’s honour, Erpetonyx arsenaultorum. This discovery indicates that reptiles at the end of this era were more […]
Facebook could know you better than your spouse
If you have 100 or more Likes on Facebook then your computer believes it knows you better than the average person, and if you have 300 or more, then it believes it could know you better than even your spouse. Researchers analysed both individuals’ responses to a personality questionnaire and obtained information on Facebook […]
If you’re outgoing, so is your avatar
Judging someone’s personality is no easy task, especially when all you can see is an avatar and not the real person. However, new research suggests that people can make some accurate personality judgements after seeing customized avatars, at least for some people. The researchers found that outgoing and sociable individuals typically create avatars that communicate […]
Music can transcend culture
Montreal hipsters’ and Congolese pygmy tribe members react to some elements of music in the same way, according to a new study. Forty Pygmies and 40 Canadians listened in pairs to 19 music excerpts (eight Pygmy and 11 Western instrumental excerpts) and were asked to rate the songs (arousing or calming, positive or negative.) Researchers found […]