Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
As temperatures rise in the North, scientists say it's affecting how Arctic ground squirrels hibernate -- and it could have serious consequences for the species.
The furry critters survive the harsh Arctic winters by burrowing underground and hibernating for eight months before emerging in the spring ready to eat and breed. As the males go through seasonal puberty every year, they normally wake up about a month earlier so they are ready to mate when the female Arctic ground squirrels resurface.
But in a new study published in Science, researchers found that over the past 25 years, female squirrels have been ending hibernation about 10 days earlier in response to earlier spring thaw while the males have not.
"If this continues, females are going to be ready to mate with males before males are physiologically able to mate with females," said senior author Cory Williams, assistant professor in the department of biology at Colorado State University, who has been studying Arctic ground squirrels for more than 15 years.
Researchers said that could mean fewer "date nights," which could affect reproduction.
Williams said because male squirrels end hibernation early, they are less responsive to environmental cues than females. He said so far, the changes among female hibernation patterns haven't affected squirrel populations and, in the future, males could adapt to stay in phase with females.
"Predicting the long-term ecosystem consequences of climate change is incredibly difficult due to ecological interactions, but it is clear that Arctic systems are rapidly changing," he said.
Other potential consequences of a shorter hibernation season are that squirrels could increase their exposure to predators such as foxes, wolves and eagles.
However, it's not all bad news. It could also mean squirrels will not have to use as much stored fat and energy during hibernation. Beginning foraging earlier could also lead to healthier offspring.
Other changes researchers observed are that squirrels are delaying the timing and duration of heat production during hibernation in response to slower freezing of the permafrost. While squirrels drastically reduce their lung, heart, brain and body functions during hibernation, they do use some energy to generate heat from stored fat to keep from freezing, even as their body temperature drops below 0 C.
The study's authors analyzed 25 years of air and soil temperatures from two locations in the Alaskan Arctic. They also measured the abdominal and skin temperatures of 199 squirrels over the same period.
"These Arctic systems are changing relatively rapidly," Williams said, noting other studies have found it is warming four times faster than the global average.
"Our study really indicates that this is happening and it's happening rapidly, and we should expect for these ecosystems to change across time."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2023.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.