BBC_Science_Focus_-_08.2019

DISCOVERIES

EXOTIC MIGRATORY BIRDS IDENTIFIED

IN PERU’S MYSTERIOUS NAZCA LINES

The lines of Nazca and Palpa were carved

into the ground over 1,000 years ago, and

what they represent is a mystery. But now, a

study of more than 2,000 of the carvings has

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pelican – none of which are native to the area.

Salmon put on a

treadmill

WHAT DID THEY DO?

A team at the University of British

Columbia placed Atlantic salmon in

swim tunnels with adjustable

waterows – essentially a fish treadmill

• and tested their
  endurance capabilities.

WHY DID THEY DO THAT?

They wanted to test the eect of

plasma-accessible carbonic anhydrase

(paCA). This is an enzyme anchored to

the walls of the blood vessels of salmon

and is thought to play an important role

in their cardiovascular function. They

inhibited the paCA in some fish and

tested their ability to swim against

strong water.

WHAT DID THEY FIND?

They found that the paCA enzyme kicks

in when the fish were in low oxygen

environments. It helps to reduce how

hard the hearts of the salmon had to

work by up to 27 per cent. “It appears

paCA plays a key role in enhancing the

animal’s ability to extract oxygen from

their blood, making salmon great

aerobic athletes and giving them a

much-needed edge during migration,”

said study leader Till Harter. They now

plan to test for the eect in other types

of salmon and other bony fish.

ey did what?

Night owls can become

larks in just three weeks

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bed and wake up late – could change their

body clocks to boost their performance,

eating habits and mood. Night owls are at a

disadvantage in modern life because working

days cater towards morning larks, with their

earlier sleep/wake cycles. This leaves night

owls suffering from lack of sleep, daytime

drowsiness and poorer mental wellbeing.

A team of researchers from the UK and

Australia carried out a small study to see

if night owls could make tweaks to their

routine to bring forward their sleep and wake

times, without impacting their total snoozing

duration. Over the course of three weeks, 22

participants – who had an average bedtime

of 2:30am and an average waking time of

10:15am – went to bed two to three hours

earlier every day, and set their alarms for two

to three hours before their normal waking

time. They were asked to eat breakfast as soon

as possible after getting up, and to get lots

of sunshine in the morning, while reducing

daylight exposure in the evening. They also

had their dinner no later than 7pm.

At the end of the study, reaction times and

grip strength in the participants had improved

in the morning, suggesting better mental and

physical performance. Breakfast was eaten

more frequently and participants reported

improvements in mood, a reduction in stress

and less daytime sleepiness.

“Establishing simple routines could help

‘night owls’ adjust their body clocks and

improve their overall physical and mental

health,” said Prof Debra Skene from the

University of Surrey, who was involved in

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circadian misalignment can disrupt many

bodily processes putting us at increased

risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and

diabetes.”

Staying up

late is bad

for your

health, but

it’s easy to

change

your

routine

HUMANS

GET T Y IMAGES, EDA M YAMASKI/SAKAI M/JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE ILLUSTRATION: TARA JAKOBY