Department of Zoology

Southern resident killer whale J50 follows her mother, J16

What’s killing killer whales? Orca report covering a decade of necropsies identifies threats

Pathology reports on more than 50 killer whales stranded over nearly a decade in the northeast Pacific and Hawaii show that orcas face a variety of mortal threats—many stemming from human interactions.

Dec 2, 2020

Adult stage of the parasitoid Zatypota species wasp (left); Larva of Zatypota wasp attached to the abdomen of an Anelosimus eximius spider.

Newly discovered wasp turns social spiders into zombies

It sounds like the plot of the world’s tiniest horror movie: deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, a newly discovered species of wasp transforms a “social” spider into a zombie-like drone that abandons its colony to do the wasp’s bidding.

Nov 27, 2018

Hummingbird vision wired to avoid high-speed collisions

Hummingbird vision wired to avoid high-speed collisions

Hummingbirds are among nature’s most agile fliers. They can travel faster than 50 kilometres per hour and stop on a dime to navigate through dense vegetation.

Jul 18, 2016

Freshwater and ocean acidification stunts growth of developing pink salmon

Freshwater and ocean acidification stunts growth of developing pink salmon

Pink salmon that begin life in freshwater with high concentrations of carbon dioxide, which causes acidification, are smaller and may be less likely to survive, according to a new study from UBC.

Jun 29, 2015

Fruit fly’s ‘sweet tooth’ short-lived: UBC research

The humble fruit fly may have something to teach us about forgoing empty calories for more nutritional ones – especially when we’re hungry.

Oct 16, 2012