A perfectly preserved burrow of fossilized snakes shows that the reptiles have been social creatures for almost 40 million years, says a new research paper co-authored by a University of Alberta paleontologist. It’s well known that snakes today gather in burrows for all kinds of reasons, including breeding and surviving cold temperatures by piling together … Read more
The moon may be our constant companion, but there’s still a lot we have yet to understand about it. For example, it was only during the Apollo missions in the 1960s and ’70s that we discovered it has an atmosphere, tenuous as it is. “People do not even know that the moon has an atmosphere,” said Nicole … Read more
Why do humans live so long? A new study suggests a mother’s care could be a major part of it. The study, out of Cornell University, says that the reason humans and other primates live so long can be at least partly explained by the mother-child relationship. Maternal care leads to the evolution of “long, slow lives,” … Read more
If, on a clear night, you were to gaze up into the blackness of the sky, you would expect to see nothing but the magnificent Milky Way stretching out above you, billions of stars twinkling in place. Instead, every few minutes or so, you will most likely also see an ersatz star breaking through an … Read more
It all started with a few text messages in late April. Several well-known Canadian scientists — Toronto-based infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch, Saskatoon-based virologist Angela Rasmussen and Winnipeg-based microbiologist Jason Kindrachuk — were all chatting about the unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in U.S. dairy cows. By then, American officials had tracked cow cases … Read more
Lorraine Sherren says what’s holding her together as she and her husband grieve the death of their 40-year-old son is knowing he was able to donate his heart, with some out-of-the-box thinking. Robbie Sherren, 40, was a Special Olympics bowler, Trekkie and computer whiz, his parents said. What started as a trip to the emergency … Read more
A new $15-million cross-border research project is underway to monitor the movement of pathogens in Canada and the U.S. in the event of future pandemics. The federal government put up the money that will cover four years of equipment and research. The Integrated Network for the Surveillance of Pathogens: Increasing Resilience and Capacity in Canada’s … Read more
6:39Scientists try to unravel the case of 1,300 mysteriously preserved human brains Oxford University’s Alexandra Morton-Hayward spends her days surrounded by brains — literally. The undertaker-turned-scientist is trying to unravel why some human brains remain remarkably well-preserved after death, sometimes for thousands of years, even when all other soft tissue has long decayed. And anyone … Read more
People who search for human remains in Alberta say a new study identifying predominant scavengers in the region will help them conduct their searches more efficiently. In August 2021 and August 2022, researchers placed pig carcasses at four locations — one near Edmonton, another near Calgary and two in more rural areas. The 200-pound pigs acted … Read more
As It Happens6:05Spider webs catch more than prey. They’re also jam-packed with animal DNA Josh Newton probably isn’t very popular with spiders. After all, the Australian scientist has a tendency to go around undoing their hard work. “I liken it to when Princess Fiona in Shrek makes some cotton candy for Shrek from spider webs, where … Read more
