Browse the latest news and discoveries relating to animal research at UBC.
News
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August 5, 2021
Surprising insights into the migration pattern of world’s farthest-migrating species
The Arctic tern—which has the world record for the longest annual migration—uses just a few select routes, a key finding that could help efforts to conserve the species, according to a new University of British Columbia study.
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July 13, 2021
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.
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June 7, 2021
A planet without apes? New research highlights danger to gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos in shifting habitats
Globally, great ape populations and their habitats have drastically declined in recent history. New analysis published today reveals that if the pressures on their habitat remain unchecked, Africa’s great apes could lose between 85 per cent and 94 per cent of their range by the year 2050. As…
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May 26, 2021
Salmon virus originally from the Atlantic, spread to B.C. wild salmon from farms: Study
Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) – which is associated with kidney and liver damage in Chinook salmon – is continually being transmitted between open-net salmon farms and wild juvenile Chinook salmon in British Columbia waters, according to a new genomics analysis published today in Science…
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March 24, 2021
Female salmon are dying at higher rates than male salmon
Female adult sockeye from the Fraser River are dying at significantly higher rates than their male counterparts on the journey back to their spawning grounds, finds new UBC research. For every male salmon that doesn’t make it to their natal stream, at least two, sometimes three female salmon…
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November 17, 2020
UBC releases 2019 animal research statistics
UBC’s summary of animals involved in research at the university in 2019 is now available. This is the tenth consecutive year the university has published the data. UBC is one of only three Canadian universities to publish animal research statistics annually. The university publishes the data…
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September 24, 2020
Camera traps show impact of recreational activity on wildlife
The COVID-19 pandemic has fired up interest in outdoor activities in our parks and forests. Now a new UBC study highlights the need to be mindful of how these activities may affect wildlife living in protected areas. Researchers placed motion-activated cameras on the trails in and around the South…
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September 8, 2020
Long live the queen: UBC scientists find clues to queen bee failure
Scientists at UBC are unravelling the mysteries behind a persistent problem in commercial beekeeping that is one of the leading causes of colony mortality—queen bee failure. This occurs when the queen fails to produce enough fertilized eggs to maintain the hive, and is regularly cited by the…
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May 21, 2020
UBC scientist identifies a gene that controls thinness
Why can some people eat as much as they want, and still stay thin? In a study published today in the journal Cell, Life Sciences Institute Director Dr. Josef Penninger and a team of international colleagues report their discovery that a gene called ALK (Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase) plays a role in…
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April 27, 2020
Honey bees could help monitor fertility loss in insects due to climate change
New research from the University of British Columbia and North Carolina State University could help scientists track how climate change is impacting the birds and the bees… of honey bees. Heat can kill sperm cells across the animal kingdom, yet there are few ways to monitor the impact of…