To avoid being sprayed, watch for the signs: foot stomping, hissing and tail raising
Ask almost anyone what they think of skunks and their nose will curl up and they’ll frown. I kind of like the smell. Don’t get your knickers in a knot – personal preferences are, well, personal! So why don’t we explore the life of these common, but maligned, mammals? But before we do … although…
Oldest non-marine crab ever – and most complete crab fossil known – identified
A young crustacean locked in amber 100 million years ago is filling a crucial gap in the puzzle of crab evolution, according to a University of Alberta PhD graduate whose work adds to growing evidence that the crab form is an evolutionary darling. “This crab is telling us a very interesting story about the tree…
Don’t be afraid to enjoy nature – just do it on their terms and with their survival in mind
With COVID-19 an overriding part of our lives, many folks have begun to see and appreciate nature like never before. Whenever we encounter nature, and while our actions may seem harmless, they might be dangerous to wildlife. Wildlife can be negatively impacted by what we do and how we do it. Having studied wildlife most…
Tianna Tanasichuk's internship was a chance to gain experience – not learn about herself
Working in the sunshine, surrounded by the soft hum of a dozen beehives this summer, Tianna Tanasichuk couldn’t help thinking of her recently passed Métis great-grandmother. “Whenever I was working with the bees, I felt like if she was here, she’d be proud of me, knowing I took this risk, of trying to grow by…
Fires are a form of selective harvest
The media is abuzz with the devastating wildfires in western and central Canada and across parts of Europe. Tens of thousands of hectares and countless lives and families have been impacted. As you read on, please don’t think for a moment that I’m uncaring for those affected. But is there an upside to these fires…
We have only two to five years to act once lionfish arrive
Coastal countries have between two and five years to act to protect native fish species once voracious lionfish arrive in their waters, according to a University of Alberta ecology professor who helped create a tool to predict which fish are in danger. The lionfish, originally a popular aquarium species native only to the Pacific and…
One might find a shrewdness of apes, a congress of baboons, or an obstinacy of bison
Often we struggle to name a group of animals when we see several feeding or playing together: Was that a bunch of birds or a flock of felines or a gambit of gnus? Actually, it’s none of those. I decided to compile a list of as many names as I could find for as many…
U of A biology grads shed new light on the evolution of an iconic feature of some modern snakes
Venom fangs evolved separately in several species of modern snakes, according to a new study led by former University of Alberta students and post-doctoral fellows in an international collaboration. “This research provides a textbook example of convergent evolution, in which two or more lineages with a common ancestor tweak that ancestral body plan in similar…
Insects reduce their functions so only essential processes work: respiration and waste elimination
I know it’s still summer but soon it will get colder and things will be radically different. Sometimes I wonder where all the bugs go in the winter. Seems a bit silly but they’re out there somewhere all winter – at least most of them. But where are they? Insects and their allies (e.g. spiders,…
The wolf came within 25 metres and stared at me as if looking through me, then trotted back into the bush, satisfied that I was neither tasty nor a threat
The eastern grey wolf is a mysterious animal that evokes different emotions in us. How you react comes down to how much time you’ve spent with them or, more importantly, how much time you’ve taken to learn something about them. I’ve always revered them, having had several close encounters over the years. Each has left…