Category Archives: Species Discovery and Change

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 , , , , | 1 Comment

Lemmings: The favourite Arctic meal

Posted on October 23, 2019 by

The Museum’s Dominique Fauteux writes that lemmings might be small but they pack a big ecological footprint. Continue reading →

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

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

Bees and Wasps: Providing Ecosystem Services with a Point

Posted on April 3, 2019 by

Thomas Onuferko says it’s high time to drop the fear and start spreading the buzz about wasps’ ecological importance. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Nature Inspiration, Species Discovery and Change | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

In Jassa mating: A thumb matters

Posted on March 6, 2019 by

Kathleen Conlan writes that after 30 years she’s still captivated by the role of male thumbs in a shrimp-like love story. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Fieldwork, Species Discovery and Change | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A possible new species almost found — but lost

Posted on February 20, 2019 by

Brian Coad recounts the tale of a possibly new blind cave fish species that had him hooked, but sadly was lost. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Collections, Fieldwork, 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 , , , | 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

Cruising the Globe Undetected

Posted on November 28, 2018 by

Kathy Conlan reports on the gooey voyages of a tiny global hitchhiker. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Species Discovery and Change, Water | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Undiscovered backyard biodiversity: New lichen species discovered in Guelph, Canada

Posted on September 26, 2018 by

Troy McMullin’s inventory of the Arboretum at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, reveals that there is still lots of undiscovered biodiversity in our backyards. Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Fieldwork, Species Discovery and Change | Tagged , , | Leave a comment