Department of Zoology

Earth prefers to serve life in XXS and XXL sizes: UBC research

Life comes in all shapes in sizes, but some sizes are more popular than others, new research from the University of British Columbia has found.

Mar 29, 2023

Polar bears scavenging through garbage in Churchill, Manitoba. The rapid loss of sea ice in northern latitudes has driven many polar bears onto land and into human settlements to find food. Photo credit: Keith Levit/Shutterstock

UBC zoologist: We need to acknowledge climate change’s effects on wildlife—for our own good

As the United Nations marks World Wildlife Day on March 3, UBC zoology professor Dr. Kaitlyn Gaynor (she/her) discusses how climate change is affecting wildlife, and why that can spell bad news for humans and animals alike.

Mar 2, 2023

Seafood farming’s growth rate has already peaked, and now it’s in decline

Seafood farming’s growth rate has already peaked, and now it’s in decline

Dr. Rashid Sumaila and Dr. Muhammed Oyinlola discuss why we can’t rely on just farmed seafood for our fishy needs.

Nov 14, 2022

Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash

Why whales don’t get brain damage when they swim

Special blood vessels may protect whales from pulses in their blood that would damage the brain while swimming, new research has suggested.

Sep 22, 2022

Credit: Dr. Ben Matthews

How to avoid becoming a mosquito’s dinner

In this Q&A, Dr. Ben Matthews, professor in the UBC department of zoology, explains how to avoid being on the menu for mozzies, and why the future of bite prevention might include odour-reducing skin creams.

Aug 15, 2022

Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash

UBC experts on World Oceans Day

UBC experts are available to comment on various topics on June 8, World Oceans Day.

Jun 6, 2022

A grizzly bear walking on a logging road in the South Chilcotin Mountains of BC. Credit: Robin Naidoo

Canada ranks third worldwide in permeable landscapes for wildlife

Canada ranks third in the world for animal movement between protected areas, finds new UBC research.

Jun 2, 2022

A humpback whale from Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Massachusetts. Credit: Ari Friedlaender

Here’s why whales don’t drown when they gulp down food underwater

Ever wondered whether whales can burp, and why they don’t drown when they gulp down gallons of water and krill? New UBC research may just hold the answer.

Jan 20, 2022

Migrating sockeye salmon. Credit: Dr. Scott Hinch

Physical fitness of wild Pacific sockeye salmon unaffected by PRV

The respiratory performance of wild Pacific sockeye salmon functions normally even when infected with piscine orthoreovirus (PRV), according to a new study released today.

Jul 13, 2021

Southern resident killer whale J50 follows her mother, J16, in the Salish Sea in August 2018. Credit: Katy Foster/NOAA Fisheries

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