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A wooded ecosystem with mammoths alongside modern species such as arctic hares
Scientists Unearth the Oldest DNA Ever Found
The 2.4-million-year-old environmental DNA fragments collected from permafrost in northern Greenland unlock insights into an ancient ecosystem.
Scientists Unearth the Oldest DNA Ever Found
Scientists Unearth the Oldest DNA Ever Found

The 2.4-million-year-old environmental DNA fragments collected from permafrost in northern Greenland unlock insights into an ancient ecosystem.

The 2.4-million-year-old environmental DNA fragments collected from permafrost in northern Greenland unlock insights into an ancient ecosystem.

arctic

Illustration of blue and gray amino acids loosely forming protein
Fungal Cold Adaptation Linked to Protein Structure Changes: Study
Patience Asanga | Sep 20, 2022 | 4 min read
Environmental pressure seems to spawn changes in the intrinsically disordered regions of enzymes in polar yeasts, allowing them to adapt to extreme cold.
Shark at the surface of the water next to a boat
Science Snapshot: An Arctic Shark’s Tropical Vacation
Lisa Winter | Jul 26, 2022 | 1 min read
Though Greenland sharks generally live in icy waters, one was recently caught in the Caribbean.
a research sailboat with white sails inscribed with "tara ocean" traverses a body of water with small, rocky islands in the background
Q&A: Thousands of RNA Viruses Newly Discovered in Ocean Water
Dan Robitzski | Apr 7, 2022 | 6 min read
The Scientist spoke with Ohio State University microbiologist Matthew Sullivan about a recent expedition that identified thousands of RNA viruses from water samples and cataloged them into novel phylogenic groups.
A young arctic fox on green grass
Arctic Greening Won’t Save the Climate—Here’s Why
Donatella Zona, The Conversation | Mar 30, 2022 | 4 min read
The growing season on the tundra is starting earlier as the planet warms, but the plants aren’t sequestering more carbon, a new study finds.
close-up of a salmon's head swimming among underwater plants
Sudden Decline in Salmon Growth May Signal Ecological Shift
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Mar 4, 2022 | 5 min read
The decrease in growth appears to be associated with increasing water temperatures, affecting animals throughout the marine food web.
Picture of Markus Dyck standing outside, wearing a red coat and ball cap.
Polar Bear Researcher Markus Dyck Dies in Helicopter Crash
Lisa Winter | Apr 30, 2021 | 2 min read
Dyck was widely respected for working alongside indigenous groups as he studied polar bears on their ancestral lands.
Arctic, polar, polar research, animal movement, tracking, climate change, big data, global warming
Animal Movement Data Reveal Effects of Climate Change in Arctic
Amanda Heidt | Nov 5, 2020 | 5 min read
Environmental engineer Gil Bohrer discusses how long-term, large-scale tracking data can shed light on the unexpected ways animals are responding to changes in the Arctic.
Infographic: Investigating Whale Strandings Along the North American Coast
Ashley Yeager | Nov 1, 2020 | 2 min read
Knock-on effects of melting sea ice in the Arctic may be to blame for a spate of gray whale deaths along their migration route from Mexico to Alaska.
Clues Point to Climate Change as a Culprit in Gray Whale Deaths
Ashley Yeager | Nov 1, 2020 | 10+ min read
For the past two years, the charismatic marine mammals have washed up on Pacific shores in record numbers. Scientists investigating the strandings suspect warming waters and melting sea ice are partly to blame.
a bay in the Antarctic
Nitrogen-Fixing Microbes Found in Antarctic Sea
Shawna Williams | Oct 28, 2020 | 4 min read
The discovery puts a nail in the coffin of a long-held assumption about the limits of where the essential process can occur.
arctic Verkhoyansk russia heat wave temperature record wildfire climate change global warming
Arctic Swelters Under 38 °C Heat Wave
Amanda Heidt | Jun 24, 2020 | 2 min read
The possibly record-breaking temps follow the warmest winter on record in the region.
Ozone-Depleting Chemicals Led 20th Century Arctic Warming: Study
Lisa Winter | Jan 21, 2020 | 2 min read
Chlorofluorocarbons and other substances were banned in 1989 under the Montreal Protocol.
Researchers DNA Barcode the Arctic
Phil Jaekl | Apr 1, 2019 | 4 min read
A group of scientists in northern Norway are using the technique to measure biodiversity’s response to past and present climate change.
Canadian Government Ending Networks of Centres of Excellence Program
Ashley P. Taylor | Dec 18, 2018 | 2 min read
The funding future is uncertain for researchers studying topics including cancer, stem cells, and the Arctic.
Image of the Day: Plundered Plover
Jef Akst | Nov 9, 2018 | 1 min read
Nest predation of shorebirds that raise young in the Arctic are up threefold since the mid-20th century, and climate change may be to blame, according to a study.
Marine Protected Areas Aren’t Protected Against Climate Change
Ashley Yeager | May 7, 2018 | 2 min read
If left unchecked, greenhouse gas emissions will drive ocean temperatures up, affecting wildlife in these regions.
Bowhead Whales Impress Researchers With Their Song Diversity
Catherine Offord | Apr 4, 2018 | 2 min read
A group of around 300 whales produced 184 distinct songs over just a few years, according to a new study.
Neslihan Taş Studies Permafrost Microbes as They’re Roused by a Warming Climate
Shawna Williams | Dec 1, 2017 | 3 min read
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researcher’s work will help predict how the Arctic is responding to climate change—and the global effects of those changes.
Neurophysiologist, Ethnographer, and World Explorer Dies
Aggie Mika | Jul 18, 2017 | 2 min read
S. Allen Counter pursued scientific questions within various cultures throughout the world.
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