Apr 19: What the dinos did, and more...
There's not a more vulnerable creature in nature than a baby bird. Tiny and immobile, they're easy pickings for predators. But the chicks of the white-necked jacobin hummingbird have evolved a unique defence. They disguise themselves as poisonous caterpillars to discourage those that might eat them. Jay Falk, an NSF postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado and Scott Taylor, director of the Mountain Research Station and associate professor at the University of Colorado, studied these birds in Panama. Their research was published in the journal Ecology.
Seals can dive at length to tremendous depth thanks to some remarkable adaptations, like the ability to collapse their lungs, and radically lower their heart rate. Chris McKnight, a senior research fellow at the University of St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit in Scotland, led a study looking to see if tweaking oxygen and C02 levels changed the seals' dive times. The researchers discovered that the seals have the unique ability to measure the oxygen levels in their tissues, so they can anticipate when they need to return to the surface before they get into trouble. The research was published in the journal Science.
As the joke goes, time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. Researchers recently demonstrated that fruit flies enjoy more than just aged produce. Using a custom carousel built to fly scale, scientists found that some, but not all, of their fruit flies would play on it, enjoying an activity that had nothing to do with the necessities of life. This brings up the possibility of variability in personality for fruit flies. Wolf Hütteroth is an associate professor at Northumbria University, Newcastle and was part of the team, whose research was published in the journal Current Biology.
Krill, the small, shrimp-like creatures that swarm the world's oceans and are particularly abundant in southern oceans, play a big role in marine food webs, connecting microscopic organisms with many of the oceans' larger animal species. Researchers in Australia investigated how krill respond to predator cues, like the smell of their feces. Nicole Hellessey, from the University of Tasmania, said the mere whiff of penguin feces affects the Antarctic krills' feeding behaviour and causes them to take frantic evasive action. The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
Dinosaur bones can tell amazing stories about these prehistoric beasts, but how do we piece together how they behaved? A new book dives into the many lines of evidence that can shed light on the behaviour of these extinct creatures. From fossils, to tracks they left behind, to their modern day descendents, paleontologist David Hone from Queen Mary University of London explores how scientists develop robust theories about how dinosaurs lived in his new book, Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior: What They Did and How We Know.
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Vancouver Sun
28-06-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Western Canada glaciers melting twice as fast as in previous decade, research says
Researchers say some glaciers in Western Canada and the United States lost 12 per cent of their mass from 2021 to 2024, doubling melt rates compared to the previous decade in a continuation of a concerning global trend. The research led by a University of Northern British Columbia professor, Brian Menounos, says low snow accumulation over winter, early-season heat waves, and prolonged warm and dry spells were contributing factors. It says impurities such as ash from severe wildfire seasons have also 'darkened' glaciers, causing them to absorb more heat and triggering a feedback loop that will lead to continued loss unless the ice is covered by fresh snow. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters this week, examined glaciers in Western Canada and the United States, excluding Alaska and Yukon, as well as Switzerland, where glaciers lost 13 per cent of their mass over the same period. The research letter says glaciers in both regions lost mass twice as fast as they did between 2010 and 2020. Menounos says climate change and its effects, including heat waves and changing snow patterns, are draining the 'bank account' of fresh water that glaciers contain. 'Doubling the amount of water that's lost from those glaciers, we're sort of stealing from the future,' says Menounos, the Canada Research Chair in glacier change. 'We are just pulling and pulling away and making that bank account closer to zero and perhaps even negative. We're not replenishing these glaciers,' he says. The research letter published Wednesday follows a 2021 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature that found glaciers outside the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets lost mass between 2010 and 2019 at double the rate they did in the first decade of this century. Menounos contributed to that study. The latest research combined aerial surveys with ground-based observations of three glaciers in Western Canada, four glaciers in the United States and 20 in Switzerland. The analysis shows that between 2021 and 2024, those glaciers experienced their highest rates of loss since monitoring began 60 years ago, Menounos says. The study says that in Western Canada and the United States, black carbon doubled after about 2010, reaching the highest level of deposition in 2023 — coinciding with a severe wildfire season across B.C. and Canada. The study did not include specific data relating to wildfire ash on each glacier, but Menounos says any darker material will absorb more heat and enhance melting. The researchers did zero in on the Haig Glacier in the Canadian Rockies, finding the low reflectivity of the ice contributed to 17 per cent of an unprecedented loss of mass in 2022 and 2023. Summer heat had the greatest effect, responsible for 46 per cent of the loss, the letter says. Current modelling for glaciers often doesn't include wildfire ash and other processes that could accelerate rates of loss in the future, Menounos added. 'We think that wildfire will continue to play an important role and certainly we need better physical models to project how these glaciers are likely to change.' Glaciers across the study area are projected to mostly disappear by the end of the century, even under moderate climate change scenarios. Only some of the largest glaciers and icefields are expected to exist beyond 2100, the research letter says. Swiss glaciers represent about 55 per cent of the total volume of central European glaciers, and findings there may be applied across the Alps, the letter notes. From 2000 to 2023, the letter says Earth's glaciers collectively lost mass at a rate of about 273 gigatonnes per year, accounting for about one-fifth of observed sea-level rise. One gigatonne represents one cubic kilometre of water, Menounos says. 'The way to perhaps bring some of the smallest glaciers back is, sometime in the future, with reduced greenhouse gas emissions,' he says. 'It's a global problem, but it does require input from all countries.'
Canada News.Net
26-06-2025
- Canada News.Net
Western Canada Glaciers Melting Twice as Fast as in Previous Decade, Study Finds
Researchers say some glaciers in Western Canada and the United States lost 12% of their mass from 2021 to 2024, doubling melt rates compared to the previous decade in a continuation of a concerning global trend. The research led by University of Northern British Columbia professor Brian Menounos says low snow accumulation over winter, early-season heatwaves, and prolonged warm and dry spells were contributing factors, reports The Canadian Press. It says impurities such as ash from severe wildfire seasons have also "darkened" glaciers, causing them to absorb more heat and triggering a feedback loop that will lead to continued loss unless the ice is covered by fresh snow. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters this week, examined glaciers in Western Canada and the United States, excluding Alaska and Yukon, as well as Switzerland, where glaciers lost 13% of their mass over the same period. The research letter says glaciers in both regions lost mass twice as fast as they did between 2010 and 2020. Menounos says climate change and its effects, including heatwaves and changing snow patterns, are draining the "bank account" of fresh water that glaciers contain. View our latest digests "Doubling the amount of water that's lost from those glaciers, we're sort of stealing from the future," says Menounos, the Canada Research Chair in glacier change. "We are just pulling and pulling away and making that bank account closer to zero and perhaps even negative. We're not replenishing these glaciers," he says. The research letter published Wednesday follows a 2021 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature that found glaciers outside the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets lost mass between 2010 and 2019 at double the rate they did in the first decade of this century. Menounos contributed to that study. The latest research combined aerial surveys with ground-based observations of three glaciers in Western Canada, four glaciers in the United States and 20 in Switzerland. The analysis shows that between 2021 and 2024, those glaciers experienced their highest rates of loss since monitoring began 60 years ago, Menounos says. The study says that in Western Canada and the United States, black carbon doubled after about 2010, reaching the highest level of deposition in 2023-coinciding with a severe wildfire season across British Columbia and Canada. The study did not include specific data relating to wildfire ash on each glacier, but Menounos says any darker material will absorb more heat and enhance melting. The researchers did zero in on the Haig Glacier in the Canadian Rockies, finding the low reflectivity of the ice contributed to 17% of an unprecedented loss of mass in 2022 and 2023. Summer heat had the greatest effect, responsible for 46% of the loss, the letter says. Current modelling for glaciers often doesn't include wildfire ash and other processes that could accelerate rates of loss in the future, Menounos added. "We think that wildfire will continue to play an important role and certainly we need better physical models to project how these glaciers are likely to change." Glaciers across the study area are projected to mostly disappear by the end of the century, even under moderate climate change scenarios. Only some of the largest glaciers and icefields are expected to exist beyond 2100, the research letter says. Swiss glaciers represent about 55% of the total volume of central European glaciers, and findings there may be applied across the Alps, the letter notes. From 2000 to 2023, the letter says Earth's glaciers collectively lost mass at a rate of about 273 gigatonnes per year, accounting for about one-fifth of observed sea-level rise. One gigatonne represents one cubic kilometre of water, Menounos says. "The way to perhaps bring some of the smallest glaciers back is, sometime in the future, with reduced greenhouse gas emissions," he says. "It's a global problem, it does require input from all countries." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
Canada Standard
26-06-2025
- Canada Standard
Western Canada Glaciers Melting Twice as Fast as in Previous Decade, Study Finds
Researchers say some glaciers in Western Canada and the United States lost 12% of their mass from 2021 to 2024, doubling melt rates compared to the previous decade in a continuation of a concerning global trend. The research led by University of Northern British Columbia professor Brian Menounos says low snow accumulation over winter, early-season heatwaves, and prolonged warm and dry spells were contributing factors, reports The Canadian Press. It says impurities such as ash from severe wildfire seasons have also "darkened" glaciers, causing them to absorb more heat and triggering a feedback loop that will lead to continued loss unless the ice is covered by fresh snow. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters this week, examined glaciers in Western Canada and the United States, excluding Alaska and Yukon, as well as Switzerland, where glaciers lost 13% of their mass over the same period. The research letter says glaciers in both regions lost mass twice as fast as they did between 2010 and 2020. Menounos says climate change and its effects, including heatwaves and changing snow patterns, are draining the "bank account" of fresh water that glaciers contain. "Doubling the amount of water that's lost from those glaciers, we're sort of stealing from the future," says Menounos, the Canada Research Chair in glacier change. "We are just pulling and pulling away and making that bank account closer to zero and perhaps even negative. We're not replenishing these glaciers," he says. The research letter published Wednesday follows a 2021 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature that found glaciers outside the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets lost mass between 2010 and 2019 at double the rate they did in the first decade of this century. Menounos contributed to that study. The latest research combined aerial surveys with ground-based observations of three glaciers in Western Canada, four glaciers in the United States and 20 in Switzerland. The analysis shows that between 2021 and 2024, those glaciers experienced their highest rates of loss since monitoring began 60 years ago, Menounos says. The study says that in Western Canada and the United States, black carbon doubled after about 2010, reaching the highest level of deposition in 2023-coinciding with a severe wildfire season across British Columbia and Canada. The study did not include specific data relating to wildfire ash on each glacier, but Menounos says any darker material will absorb more heat and enhance melting. The researchers did zero in on the Haig Glacier in the Canadian Rockies, finding the low reflectivity of the ice contributed to 17% of an unprecedented loss of mass in 2022 and 2023. Summer heat had the greatest effect, responsible for 46% of the loss, the letter says. Current modelling for glaciers often doesn't include wildfire ash and other processes that could accelerate rates of loss in the future, Menounos added. "We think that wildfire will continue to play an important role and certainly we need better physical models to project how these glaciers are likely to change." Glaciers across the study area are projected to mostly disappear by the end of the century, even under moderate climate change scenarios. Only some of the largest glaciers and icefields are expected to exist beyond 2100, the research letter says. Swiss glaciers represent about 55% of the total volume of central European glaciers, and findings there may be applied across the Alps, the letter notes. From 2000 to 2023, the letter says Earth's glaciers collectively lost mass at a rate of about 273 gigatonnes per year, accounting for about one-fifth of observed sea-level rise. One gigatonne represents one cubic kilometre of water, Menounos says. "The way to perhaps bring some of the smallest glaciers back is, sometime in the future, with reduced greenhouse gas emissions," he says. "It's a global problem, it does require input from all countries." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025. Source: The Energy Mix
