A dog that pulled his way into history has given scientists insight into what makes Alaska sled dogs and other working breeds unique. Researchers have used a tiny patch of skin cut from a taxidermy mount of Balto to determine that the 1925 Serum Run hero had no wolf in his recent background. They also […]
Melt season is a sad time for people who enjoy the magic of snow crystals bonding so well to one another, resulting in a web of trails over the face of Alaska. As of this writing, however, middle Alaska is still locked in winter cold despite being bright enough to need sunglasses at both 7 […]
Scientists in northern Alaska are learning about polar bears by scraping snow samples from the tracks they leave behind. That snow contains tiny flecks of the massive creatures — mostly cells shed from their foot pads. From the DNA within those cells, scientists have been able to identify individual polar bears. Lisette Waits of the […]
Two staff members of the University of Alaska Fairbanks recently rode 1,000 miles across Alaska on bikes with tires fat as a loaf of bread. Jamie Hollingsworth is a do-all field guy with the Institute of Arctic Biology and site manager of Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research program. Jay Cable is a research programmer […]