Spider sharing isn’t always caring: Colonies die when arachnids overshare food
Spiders living together in colonies of tens of thousands can go extinct from sharing food equitably, finds new UBC research.
Humans speeding up evolution by causing extinction of ‘younger’ species
Just three years after crayfish were introduced to a B.C. lake, two species of fish that had existed in the lake for thousands of years were suddenly extinct. But it’s what took their place that has scientists fascinated.
Heart problems triggered by climate change could devastate Chinook salmon stocks
Chinook salmon can acclimate to a warmer environment with subtle changes to cardiac functions, but only up to a point.
UBC team finds a glitch in hummingbird hovering
Two UBC researchers have found a glitch in the hummingbird’s hovering system, something the tiny birds are powerless to control.
Sea stars under attack
If a mysterious disease keeps spreading, we may no longer see sea stars along the seashore
Fish study links brain size to parental duties
Male stickleback fish that protect their young have bigger brains than counterparts that don’t care for offspring, finds a new UBC study.
Mixed genes mix up the migrations of hybrid birds
Mixed genes appear to drive hybrid birds to select more difficult routes than their parent species, according to new research from UBC zoologists.
Climate change sends lizards scrambling
Climate change may test lizards’ famous ability to tolerate the heat, making habitat protection vital, according to a new study by UBC and international biodiversity experts.
Climate change-related temperature swings leave insects vulnerable
Increasingly extreme swings in temperature may put some insects at higher risk than previously thought, a UBC-Yale study finds.
$1.8M boost for cutting edge research from CFI
Eighteen UBC projects have received more than $1.8 million in combined funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund.
Scientific data lost at alarming rate
Eighty per cent of scientific data are lost within two decades, according to a new UBC study that tracks the accessibility of data over time.
Climate change may disrupt butterfly flight seasons
The flight season timing of a wide variety of butterflies is responsive to temperature and could be altered by climate change, according to a UBC study.
Tagging aquatic animals can disrupt natural behaviour
American and Canadian researchers have for the first time quantified the energy cost to aquatic animals when they carry satellite tags, video cameras and other research instruments
Keep your head in the game
Jane Roskams on what can be done to prevent head injuries in youth hockey.
The bear truth about hibernation
Bill Milsom explains the urge to sleep through the winter as hibernation season sets in for bears and other animals.
Songbirds may have “borrowed” DNA to fuel migration
A common songbird may have acquired genes from fellow migrating birds in order to travel greater distances, according to a UBC study in the journal Evolution.