Category Archives: Research

The rocks in fishes’ heads tell amazing stories

Posted on November 20, 2019 by

When I collect and research fish specimens for the Canadian Museum of Nature’s collection, I’m often particularly interested in the rocks in their heads. These tiny rocky structures, just millimetres in size, are called otoliths, or ear stones. For fishes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, Research, Species Discovery and Change | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Dendrites in rock: Getting a microscopic view

Posted on April 17, 2019 by

Museum summer research intern Ann Presley says the experience made her realize that sometimes it’s the really, (really) small things that matter. Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Rocks and minerals, Species Discovery and Change | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Champsosaurus: CT scanning reveals its ear openings really were on the bottom of its skull

Posted on February 6, 2019 by

Carleton University student Thomas Dudgeon gets into the heads of the museum’s Champsosaurus to solve a Cretaceous ear mystery. Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils, Research, Species Discovery and Change | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Zeroing in on Inuit origins through archaeology and ethnography

Posted on January 23, 2019 by

Scott Rufolo reports on his transition from falafel to fermented walrus, all in the name of uncovering the past. Continue reading →

Posted in Arctic, Fieldwork, Research | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Triceratops skull delivers a Wow! of a Christmas gift

Posted on December 12, 2018 by

Alan McDonald reports that after almost 90 years in the museum’s collections, a Triceratops skull delivers a Wow! of a Christmas gift. Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils, Research, Species Discovery and Change | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

One Hundred Lichens New to Quebec, Canada, and North America from the Gaspé Peninsula

Posted on October 31, 2018 by

Troy McMullin went for a backcountry ski in Parc national de la Gaspésie and discovered a lichenologist’s wonderland. Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Fieldwork, Research, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Solving the mystery of a metal-oxide coating threatening to cover Mi’kmaq Petroglyphs in Nova Scotia

Posted on October 17, 2018 by

Aaron Lussier reports on a high-tech effort to solve the mysterious origins of a metal-oxide coating threatening petroglyphs in Kejimkujik National Park. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Research, Rocks and minerals | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Women in Science: What’s Your Impression?

Posted on August 8, 2018 by

What’s women’s role in science today? Marisa Gilbert finds that museum visitors’ perception is sometimes far less than the reality. Continue reading →

Posted in History, Nature Inspiration, Research | Tagged | 1 Comment

Living on the edge: the voles of Svalbard

Posted on July 25, 2018 by

The population of the sibling vole in the Norwegian Arctic island of Spitsbergen irregularly fluctuates from 200 individuals per hectare to almost none. Our research scientist, Dominique Fauteux tries to solve this mystery. Continue reading →

Posted in Mammals, Research, Species Discovery and Change | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Botanist reveals his favourite grass

Posted on July 11, 2018 by

While Canadian news stories swirl around weed, Jeff Saarela reveals his favourite grass. (Hint: It’s Canadian homegrown.) Continue reading →

Posted in Arctic, Botany, Collections, Research | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments