Tag Archives: Daphnia

Jellification: A Sequel to the Disappearance of Water Fleas from Canadian Lakes

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By Roberta Attanasio, IEAM Blog Editor

The plenitude of environmental changes currently underway is leading scientists to devise new catchwords for communicating novel, unexpected findings. Think of plastiglomerates, a new type of stone made up of melted plastic and other materials that will likely become part of the rock record. Now, we have “jellification” — very recently conceived to describe the process causing goo balls to wash up on the shores of Canadian lakes. Continue reading →

Resurrection Ecology: Extinct Species and the Changing Environment

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By Roberta Attanasio, IEAM Blog Editor

Extinction is, sometimes, merely a life stage. The resurrection of extinct species is not only possible with modern science, but it is also helpful to study evolutionary changes that occur because of natural events or anthropogenic stressors. As long as their dormant propagules are preserved in permafrost, soils or sediments, species can be brought back to life—sometimes. Resurrection ecology allows researchers to identify various stages of evolution by comparing extinct, resurrected species with their living descendants. Continue reading →