Department of Biological Sciences
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Browsing Department of Biological Sciences by Subject "Alberta"
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Item Nature kids: my big Alberta backyard - tracking animals in winter(2023) Haines, Jessica A.Alberta is a great place to live. It’s a big, beautiful province full of all kinds of natural wonders. In My Big Alberta Backyard, we introduce you to the unique and interesting wild spaces that you can find in your province, and the diverse wildlife that live there. This time, let’s talk about tracking animals in the winter.Item A phylogeographic contact zone for Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in Alberta, Canada(2021) Reilly, Jessica R.; Miller, Joshua M.Arctic Grayling Thymallus arcticus are a salmonid with a Holarctic distribution, extending from north-eastern Eurasia through north-western North America. Throughout their range, Arctic Grayling face a number of threats including angling mortality, habitat fragmentation and loss and climate change. Thus, there is a need to protect the species through targeted management actions. Genetic information can assist in determining the appropriate scale for these actions through description of Designatable Units (DUs). Here we use newly collected mitochondrial DNA sequence data to assess the phylogeographic structure of Arctic Grayling in Alberta, Canada and link these with previously collected mitochondrial and microsatellite data to determine how many DUs may exist across Canada. Our assessment of 831 base pairs of sequence data in 96 individuals found two deeply divergent lineages in Alberta. When combined with 22 previously collected sequences our results highlight that Alberta is a contact zone for the observed lineages of Arctic Grayling in North America. Reassessment of nine microsatellites genotyped in 1,116 individuals further highlighted inter-basin divergence, likely the result of historical processes. Given the divergence and geographic distribution of the genetic diversity, Arctic Grayling in Canada merit consideration for separate DUs in future species status assessments and management plans. Continuing research should aim to expand sampling geographically (e.g. regions east of Great Slave Lake and along the Arctic coastline) to clarify possible colonization routes, and add to or synthesize work on Arctic Grayling behaviour, morphology, and life-history to address the limited understanding of local adaptions within this species.Item Research recast(ed): S2E2 - The Aquatic Biosphere project, with Dr. Ross Shaw(2022) Ekelund, Brittany; Cave, Dylan; Shaw, RossToday we sat down with Dr. Ross Shaw to get a sneak peek into a very exciting new project being pitched, which would bring a wet and wild wonderland to our prairie city. It’s the Aquatic Biosphere project! Looking at the life cycle of water in Alberta and combining education and conservation. We also speak to Ross about his part in the creation of Life on The Edge, a new biology-based video game designed to be fun. You can download Life on the Edge on Steam for free.Item Squirrels of Alberta(2023) Haines, Jessica A.; Kaplan, CoraSquirrel identification guide covering the 14 species of squirrels in Alberta.