It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Some beluga whales appear to recognize themselves in a mirror, per a case study of captive whales which may provide the first evidence of mirror self-recognition in the species
Extreme heat events are killing Gentoo penguins in Argentina, but the birds are shifting their breeding season earlier and therefore reducing the impact of potentially deadly hot days
Article title: Rare upside of climate-induced phenological changes: Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) avoid heat events at Martillo Isl., Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Author countries: Argentina, UK.
Funding: ARR received funding from the Wildlife Conservation Society representación Argentina (https://argentina.wcs.org - $1000), ARR received funding from the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (https://www.argentina.gob.ar - ANPCyT, PICT 2016-0267 $4000) for their research. TH was supported by Quark Expeditions ltd. (https://www.quarkexpeditions.com) and John Ellerman Foundation (https://ellerman.org.uk). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Rare upside of climate-induced phenological changes: Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) avoid heat events at Martillo Isl., Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Article Publication Date
20-May-2026
Discovery of new fossils in Northwest Canada changes view of early animal evolution
Ancient deep-sea organisms reveal earlier origins of movement, sexual reproduction, and complex animal life
Reconstruction of a hypothetical deep-water paleocommunity from the new fossil site in Canada’s Northwest Territories, based on fossils recovered by the researchers.
Researchers have uncovered a remarkable fossil site in a remote part of Canada’s Northwest Territories, offering unprecedented insight into the earliest evolution of complex animal life on Earth. Findings from the site represent life from the Ediacaran biota—soft-bodied organisms that lived on the seafloor more than 500 million years ago—and push back the origins of animal movement and sexual reproduction by 5-10 million years. The work is published today in the journal Science Advances and led by researchers at the American Museum of Natural History and Dartmouth.
“For 3 billion years, life on Earth was dominated by microbes. Then, all the sudden, we get these strange-looking marine animals big enough to see and capable of behaviors we would find familiar today,” said the study’s lead author Scott Evans, assistant curator of invertebrate paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History. “If we want to understand this transition, when life first became large, complex and unmistakenly animal, this new site has tremendous potential.”
With shapes that vary from flat discs to leafy fronds and ribbed ovals, Ediacaran fossils represent the first direct evidence of multicellular animal life. Ediacaran species are linked to a diverse set of animal groups, including mollusks, nematodes, comb jellies, and cnidarians (a group that spans jellyfish and corals). Others look nothing like any organism alive today but represent the oldest animals known to move in search of food or reproduce sexually.
Ediacaran life existed before most animals evolved the ability to form hard parts like shell or bone, so most are soft-bodied. Thus, these fossils are rare, requiring exceptional conditions to be preserved. While Ediacaran fossils have been identified on most continents except for Antarctica, only a handful of sites contain more than 10 different species, providing limited windows into this critical, roughly 40-million-year interval in Earth’s history.
Scientists currently sort Ediacaran life into three groups, or “assemblages” representing different times in the geologic record: the Avalon assemblage (575-559 million years ago), the White Sea assemblage (559-550 million years ago), and the Nama assemblage (550-538 million years ago). Until now, fossils from the White Sea group had only been found in Europe, Asia, and Australia, not North America. In this study, the researchers found clear evidence of the White Sea assemblage in ancient rocks of Canada’s Mackenzie Mountains on the traditional lands of the Sahtú Dene and Métis, who provided the research team with guidance and permission to access the site.
The discovery builds on earlier geological work in the region but represents a major step forward, with the researchers finding more than 100 fossils, including six groups never before seen in North America. But the biggest surprise was that some of these fossils are estimated to be about 567 million years old, 5-10 million years older than previously documented White Sea specimens and overlapping with the time of the older Avalon assemblage. Intriguingly, the layers in which fossils were found are overlain by hundreds of feet of potentially fossil-rich rock.
“Not only is this new site highly diverse, but also it is from a part of the rock succession where we have previously lacked fossil remains,” said study co-author Justin Strauss, an associate professor of Earth and Planetary sciences from Dartmouth, who has been exploring this area for about 15 years. “This is really exciting. Given our understanding of the regional geology in northwestern Canada, there is great potential here to revisit our understanding of Ediacaran Earth history.”
Among the finds made for the first time in North America are:
Dickinsonia, a flat organism that moved around on the sea floor, lacking a mouth and instead absorbing bacteria and algae through its entire bottom surface, which Evans describes as a “bathmat” or “pancake” with a divided circular body
an immobile tubular organism called Funisia that lived in clusters of similar size and offers the oldest evidence of sexual reproduction in the fossil record, likely with coordinated release of sperm and eggs into the water column like coral;
Kimberella, with a muscular foot that fed by scraping the sea floor, widely interpreted as an early relative of mollusks and now potentially the oldest fossil bilaterian—the group of animals with distinct front, back, top and bottom with symmetric left and right sides that makes up more than 99% of all known animals
and Eoandromeda, a possible comb jelly with eight spiral arms
The scientists also discovered that these organisms lived in deeper-water environments than previously recognized for the White Sea assemblage. This finding supports a growing hypothesis that early animals may have originated in offshore, deep-marine settings before expanding into shallower waters over time, the opposite of what is typical of animal evolution after this time.
“These results suggest a pattern where evolutionary innovation begins in deeper environments and later spreads toward the coast,” Evans said. “We think of the deep ocean as a dark, inhospitable place, but it is also relatively stable, with few fluctuations in things like temperature and oxygen essential to most animal life. This stability may have provided key opportunities to support early animal life.”
The fossils uncovered in this study will eventually be permanently accessioned by the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Other coauthors on the study include Erik Sperling, Stanford University; and Kimberly Lau, The Pennsylvania State University.
This work was supported by a NASA Exobiology grant (# 80NSSC25K7024); a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (# EAR-20 2143164); and NSF Frontier Research in Earth Science grants (# EAR-2021324 EAR-2021176).
ABOUT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (AMNH)
The American Museum of Natural History in New York City, founded in 1869 with a dual mission of scientific research and science education, is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses more than 40 permanent exhibition halls, galleries for temporary exhibitions, the Rose Center for Earth and Space including the Hayden Planetarium, and the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. The Museum’s scientists draw on a world-class permanent collection of more than 30 million specimens and objects, some of which are billions of years old, and on one of the largest natural history libraries in the world. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, the Museum offers two of the only free-standing, degree-granting programs of their kind at any U.S. museum: the Ph.D. program in Comparative Biology and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Earth Science residency program. Visit amnh.org for more information.
A fossil of Dickinsonia, a flat organism that moved around on the sea floor, lacking a mouth and instead absorbing bacteria and algae through its entire bottom surface
The site in Canada’s Northwest Territories where researchers have uncovered a wide diversity of fossils representing Ediacaran biota
Credit
Scott Evans
Climate change is destroying Arctic cultural heritage sites
17th-century whalers’ burial site in Svalbard has undergone significant destruction over the past 30 years
Textile preservation in Phase III burials from Field area B. Phase III burials from Field area B show markedly better textile preservation than Phase II, reflecting more stable burial conditions and reduced environmental disturbance. The figure illustrates Grave 1 (A, D–F), Grave 66 (B, G–I), and Grave 78 (C). Preserved textiles include a woollen jacket (E); finely felted woollen stockings (F); a very finely woven pair of woollen trousers (H); fragmentary remains of a blue-striped linen shirt (I); and a blue silk neck scarf (G, cravat). Overall, the textile assemblage from Phase III is broadly comparable to that of Phase I in terms of preservation quality, although the garments are generally in poorer structural condition. Grave 78 yielded only a single preserved garment, a woollen cap. Photos and orthomosaics (A-C) by Lise Loktu, the Governor of Svalbard and NIKU.
Climate change is rapidly destroying cultural heritage sites across the Arctic, as exemplified in a 17th century “whalers’ graveyard” which provides invaluable insights into early whalers’ way of life, according to a study published May 20, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Lise Loktu of the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research and Elin Therese Brødholt of Oslo University Hospital, Norway.
In our changing climate, the Arctic is warming faster than the global average. Rising temperatures and sea levels are linked to rapidly thawing permafrost and increased coastal erosion, which pose a danger to Arctic archaeological sites, threatening both scientific knowledge and cultural heritage. However, climate-driven risks to these sites have not been thoroughly examined.
In this study, researchers explored preservation patterns at the 17th-century whaling site of Likneset in the Svalbard archipelago. Comparing the results of excavations from the 1980s to those from the 2010s, the team observed a significant increase in erosional damage to grave sites along the coastline. The most dramatic decline was seen in textiles, which were found to be well-preserved in the 1980s excavations, but were almost completely degraded by the 2010s. This study also confirmed that graves at Likneset preserve detailed information about the illnesses, mortality, and working conditions of early Arctic whalers. For example, the skeletal remains, which composed mostly of young adult men, revealed extensive physical stresses and malnutrition, and it was likely this that caused the whalers’ deaths, rather than any specific trauma.
These results reveal rapid, climate-driven degradation of a valuable archaeological site in Svalbard, similar to trends observed in other Arctic regions. Altogether, these data suggest that current Arctic cultural management practices, which prioritize a limited selection of heritage sites, will not be able to keep up with the pace of climate impacts. The authors acknowledge the limited sample size used for the study and hope that future research will compare other burial sites in the region. They suggest that Arctic cultural heritage policies should be revised with special attention to these highly threatened archaeological assets.
The authors add: “These skeletons show us the human cost of Europe’s first oil industry. As permafrost thaws and coastal erosion accelerates, we are losing entire archives of human lives that can never be replaced. We are not only losing landscapes, but also the human stories preserved within them.”
“What we are seeing in these skeletons is the physical imprint of one of Europe’s first global industries. We can see how labour, diet, disease, and mobility left physical traces in the people who took part in early Arctic whaling. Many of these men died very young, yet already show clear signs of heavy physical strain, disease, and nutritional stress.”
Video interview caption: An archive on the brink: Lise Lotku reveals what a 16th century whalers' burial site can teach us about working-class life in Europe's first oil industry, and gives a stark warning about the threat climate change poses to this unique cultural heritage treasure.
In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS One: https://plos.io/3R629NP
Citation: Loktu L, Brødholt ET (2026) Skeletons in the permafrost: Exploring climate-driven heritage loss and occupational health at the early modern whaling burial site of Likneset, Svalbard. PLoS One 21(5): e0347033. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0347033
Author countries: Norway.
Funding: Lise Loktu received funding (NOK 550,000; grant 23/33) from the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund to conduct new osteological analyses of skeletons from the whaling period (17th–18th century), excavated at the Likneset burial ground (ID 93705) in Smeerenburgfjorden during the 1985–1990 field campaigns (https://www.miljovernfondet.no/en/front-page/).
Dental wear and pathology in the Likneset assemblage. Examples of dental wear, pathology, and non-masticatory tooth use observed in individuals from Likneset. Panels A–H illustrate anterior tooth wear and characteristic bilateral notches between incisors, canines, and premolars consistent with habitual clay pipe smoking, recorded in 79% of individuals. Several individuals also exhibit pronounced anterior wear exceeding posterior wear, suggesting non-masticatory use of the teeth in work-related activities. Additional features include dental caries, periapical lesions, and alveolar bone changes indicative of inflammatory processes (e.g., panels C, F). Enamel hypoplasia, reflecting episodes of childhood physiological stress, is visible on multiple teeth in 63% of the individuals (e.g., panels B, E). Figure by Lise Loktu, NIKU. Photos by Lise Loktu, Elin T. Brødholt, and Carina V.S. Knudsen, the Governor of Svalbard and NIKU.
Textile preservation in Phase I burials from Field area A.In Phase I, textile preservation is generally exceptionally good where present, although substantial variability is observed. The figure illustrates examples of some of the best-preserved garments from (A) and (F) Grave 222; (B) and (G) Grave 216B; (C) and (D) Grave 218; and (E) and (H) Grave 216A. Preserved garments include woollen caps, jackets, trousers, knitted stockings, and bedding elements, reflecting favourable preservation conditions in several Phase I burials despite erosion exposure. The preserved textiles consist mainly of wool, with occasional remains of degraded linen shirts and trousers (likely undergarments), as well as silk scarves (cravats) recovered from the neck area in two graves (Graves 216A and 216B). Photos by Dag Nævestad, Tromsø Museum (A-B) and Lise Loktu, NIKU (C-H).
SHORT VERSION OF INTERVIEW - PLEASE SEE PRESS RELEASE FOR FULL VERSION
An archive on the brink: Lise Lotku reveals what a 16th century whalers' burial site can teach us about working-class life in Europe's first oil industry, and gives a stark warning about the threat climate change poses to this unique cultural heritage treasure.
Credit
Anthony Lewis (www.anthony-lewis.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Skeletons in the permafrost: Exploring climate-driven heritage loss and occupational health at the early modern whaling burial site of Likneset, Svalbard
Article Publication Date
20-May-2026
Young Fraser River Chinook salmon swimming in chemical soup, SFU study finds
Juvenile Chinook salmon in the Lower Fraser River estuary are feeding and growing in a slurry of contaminants from pharmaceuticals, personal care products to industrial chemicals, according to a new Simon Fraser University study.
Juvenile Chinook salmon in the Lower Fraser River estuary are feeding and growing in a slurry of contaminants from pharmaceuticals, personal care products to industrial chemicals, according to a new Simon Fraser University study.
Researchers found more than 200 contaminants in water and fish tissue samples collected from five sites in the Lower Fraser River estuary, including common blood pressure and diabetes medications, antidepressants, caffeine and cocaine.
“We’ve shown there’s a mixture of chemicals in the Lower Fraser, which not only presents potential risks to juvenile Chinook, but also other aquatic life,” says Bonnie Lo, environmental scientist and lead author of the study.
Key findings
Water samples were taken from five sites in the Lower Fraser River estuary
Tissue samples were taken from juvenile Chinook from the Harrison stock
Samples were analyzed for more than 595 contaminants from up to nine chemical classes
Contaminants included flame retardants, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and pharmaceuticals (prescription drugs, cocaine, caffeine)
288 organic contaminants were detected in water samples
368 organic contaminants were detected in juvenile Chinook tissue
16 contaminants exceeded thresholds for aquatic life with potential for adverse effects
23 contaminants worthy of secondary monitoring were detected
Published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, the risk-based screening study focused on juvenile Harrison River Chinook, the largest Chinook stock in the Lower Fraser River.
The findings are concerning other marine animals that rely on Chinook salmon.
“Chinook salmon from the Fraser River account for up to 90 per cent of the West Coast’s Endangered Southern Resident killer whales’ diet during the summer months,” says Tanya Brown, marine ecotoxicologist and senior study author.
Decades of population declines mean more than 85 per cent of Chinook populations are now classified as Endangered or Threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
Brown says that of the 595 contaminants measured, 16 were identified as “priority” contaminants and 23 as “watchlist” contaminants.
Priority contaminants are those with the potential for adverse effects to Chinook salmon as well as other aquatic life. These included pharmaceuticals and personal care products, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, flame retardants, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
The Canadian government has regulated many of the persistent and toxic chemicals that bioaccumulate in food webs. Watchlist contaminants are those that may pose risks and warrant future monitoring.
“Toxicity data is mostly based on single-chemical exposures, but these fish are being exposed to hundreds of chemicals at once. We simply don’t yet understand the additive effects of this chemical cocktail,” says Brown.
Juvenile Chinook in the Fraser River estuary are already contending with multiple stressors, including rising water temperatures and pathogen exposure, says Dave Scott, a salmon biologist at Raincoast Conservation Foundation and study co-author.
“Harrison Chinook in particular arrive at very small sizes and depend heavily on these habitats for growth prior to entering the ocean,” Scott says. “Contaminant exposure is an additional stressor acting on the same fish during the same critical window.”
Researchers say further studies are underway to better understand how exposure to this chemical mix may affect the growth and survival of juvenile Chinook salmon.
This collaborative research by SFU, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and Raincoast Conservation Foundation, was funded by the Government of Canada’s Whales Initiative, a program addressing key threats to the Endangered Southern Resident killer whales, including prey scarcity, physical and acoustic disturbance, and pollution.
