How and why does cognition vary so greatly between individuals and species? In @natrevbiodiv.nature.com, we propose the "Predatory Intelligence Hypothesis" which posits that the cognitive challenges associated with predator–prey interactions drive a cognitive co-evolutionary arms race
rdcu.be/e5KIj
🤝 MetaROR is happy to announce Replication Research as its new partner journal!
@r2journal.bsky.social is an interdisciplinary journal for replication research focusing on reproductions, close replications and conceptual replications.
👇 See our full list of partners on our website
Nice, accessible overview from WWF on caribou and reindeer and why they matter in a rapidly changing Arctic. It's been great to collaborate with Jan Adamczewski and WWF on caribou research across northern Canada.
wwf.ca/stories/fact...
#Caribou #Arctic #Conservation
Criteria for zoogeochemical niche construction.
Zoogeochemical niche construction: how animal-mediated biogeochemistry affects evolution
http://dlvr.it/TPswWZ
@kristymferraro.bsky.social & colleagues
@cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social
#AGU25
While our evidence supports early warming triggered these observations in 2024 and 2025, I want to record that for a hot minute we thought it was caused by the 2024 total solar eclipse, as NL was in the path of totality. And that might have been the peak of my scientific career 🌞 (6/6).
A group of caribou in their white winter coat look at the camera
We will continue to monitor the Fogo Island caribou population to see if this trend persists, and look for impacts on reproductive fitness that may occur from simultaneous antler growth and pregnancy, of particular importance in this at risk species. (5/6)
🔎 We explore multiple hypotheses in our recent work, but ultimately found support for one. Earlier warming and reductions in snow cover seem to have triggered early antler shedding, and regrowth. This alternate timing coincides with pregnancy and lactation. (4/6)
doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...
A caribou growing velvety antlers, 3-4 inches long, her belly indicates she is pregnant (we confirmed later that year).
After days, that felt like weeks, we finally photographed a pregnant caribou sporting velvety antlers 📸. But our side quest had only just begun. We observed no individuals with mature antlers that spring, when usually ~20% have mature antlers. Why had the caribou lost their antlers early? 🕵️♀️(3/6)
Thus began a sidequest, get photographic evidence that the caribou were growing their antlers at the ‘wrong’ time of the year. Caribou are the only species where females grow antlers, shedding them after calving in late spring. We had never seen antlers growing in spring. (2/6)
A partially obscured caribou with 3 inch long velvety antler nubs.
The curious incident of the antlers in the springtime 🦌
During 2024 spring fieldwork, I spotted a female caribou, for a split second through binoculars, growing fuzzy antlers when she should have had mature antlers. She ran away before anyone else saw. 🧪(1/6)
#caribou #nature #naturalhistory
While our evidence supports early warming triggered these observations in 2024 and 2025, I want to record that for a hot minute we thought it was caused by the 2024 total solar eclipse, NL was in the path of totality. And that might have been the peak of my scientific career 🌞 (6/6).
We will continue to monitor the Fogo Island caribou population to see if this trend persists, and look for impacts on reproductive fitness that may occur from simultaneous antler growth and pregnancy, of particular importance in this at risk species. (5/6)
We explore multiple hypotheses in our recent work, but ultimately found support for one.
🔎 Earlier warming and reductions in snow cover seem to have triggered early antler shedding, and regrowth. This alternate timing coincides with pregnancy and lactation. (4/6)
After days, that felt like weeks, we finally photographed a pregnant caribou sporting velvety antlers. But our side quest had only just begun. We observed no individuals with mature antlers that spring, despite 20% normally having antlers. Why had the caribou lost their antlers early? 🕵️♀️ (3/6)
Thus began a sidequest, get photographic evidence that the caribou were growing their antlers at the ‘wrong’ time of the year. 📸
Caribou are the only species where females grow antlers, shedding them after calving in late spring. We had never seen antlers growing in spring. (2/6)
#UofG researchers alter course in their study of caribou on Fogo Island, Newfoundland, finding climate change could be having significant impacts on the Arctic mammal.
@uofgcbs.bsky.social
Check out our special feature!! We're excited to highlight some of the recent trends in the movement ecology field!
A step forward on the use of #cameratrapping for #wildlife monitoring. Now underwater!
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Equilibrium - is it a thing? Jury's still out according to the sticker poll on my poster at #CSEE2025! Stay tuned for the paper!
I had a great time at @csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social in Sherbrooke, thank you so much to the organizers and volunteers.
And thanks everyone who indulged me for a few minutes to be caribou game show contestants! I had a blast talking about the landscape of disgust with everyone.
You’re probably why it takes so long for your paper to get reviewed and your excuses are bad dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2025/06/10/y... 🧪
Some difficult news from the team: In NSF's FY25-26 Budget Request to Congress, we learned that our program will take a whopping 50% cut - meaning that in September, we'll be $1.25m short of an operating budget that currently supports a cohort of seven PhD students, four postdocs, and three full-time staff. Verena is one of the largest and last pandemic prevention-focused programs in the United States: since 2020, we've supported the training of over 60 postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates. Our researchers have established unique laboratory resources for studying animal immune systems, and discovered new antiviral immune adaptations in bats; developed risk assessment algorithms for wildlife and livestock viruses, and diagnostic algorithms for viruses like dengue, Ebola, and Zika; and quantified the effects of climate change, deforestation, and factory farming on spillover risk. Everything we develop is 100% open source, and our data has supported the research of nearly 150 external researchers in 21 countries to date. We have three months to make up our budget shortfall. Every dollar spent on Verena supports not just our team, but the community of researchers who use our data, code, and resources. You can help us by sharing this post, and reaching out if you're able to support a unique and vulnerable program. Or just head over to viralemergence.org, and take a look at what we do. 🦟 🦇 🦠
An update from the team on the uncertain future of our program and the impact of NSF budget cuts. Please share and reach out 🦠
🚨New paper alert!🚨
We show that hummingbird beaks have changed in shape & size since around WWII, driven by the rise of commercialized feeders! 🧵
📄 Paper: dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb....
#ornithology #evolution #GlobalChangeBiology
Researchers paid $9 billion over 5 years for their findings to be freely accessible.
This is based on a study of the global expenditure on article processing charges (APCs) paid to six publishers for open access between 2019 and 2023. arxiv.org/abs/2407.16551
How do animals act at risky times in risky places?
We investigated how caribou can use sociality at risky times and places to mitigate risk when facing trade-offs in habitat selection
Congratulations to @mary-atkinson.bsky.social for her first paper!
Environmental assessments, worker protections, and Indigenous rights are not red tape.
Read my OpEd on why the Ford government needs to drop Bill 5.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
The government of Ontario is proposing to change the endangered species act. My advisor @qwebber.bsky.social and @ryannorrissci.bsky.social wrote an op-ed about the proposed changes and planned new bill (and a link to proposal). Public consultation closes May 17th, have you submitted a comment yet?
When the Romans conquered Carthage they famously salted the fields so nothing new would grow. By killing NSF, MAGA is salting the scientific fields where new economic innovations would have grown
Alannah Grant and Jonathan Chu, PhD in Integrative Biology students
Natalie Wilkinson, Biological Science student
Audrey Peñafiel, Wildlife Biology & Conservation student
Congratulations to the CBS winners of the Student Experience Awards!
🏆Natalie Wilkinson, Biological Science
🏆Audrey Peñafiel, Wildlife Biology & Conservation
🏆Alannah Grant and Jonathan Chu, PhD in Integrative Biology students
🗞️ news.uoguelph.ca/2025/05/cele...
@integrativebiology.bsky.social
