1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast 2 00:00:10,613 --> 00:00:13,453 Speaker 1: from News Talks at b Well. 3 00:00:13,333 --> 00:00:15,733 Speaker 2: We are doing things a little bit differently this Saturday morning. 4 00:00:15,733 --> 00:00:18,613 Speaker 2: It's usually this time every week that we catch up 5 00:00:18,613 --> 00:00:20,573 Speaker 2: with our man in the Garden Root Climb past. And 6 00:00:20,613 --> 00:00:22,253 Speaker 2: we're still catching up with our man in the Garden 7 00:00:22,333 --> 00:00:25,413 Speaker 2: Roote Clime past, but this morning he has brought company 8 00:00:26,293 --> 00:00:33,413 Speaker 2: Kilder Root and Jacob Anderson PhD. How are you doing good? 9 00:00:33,533 --> 00:00:35,093 Speaker 3: Hi Jack, Nice to hear from you. 10 00:00:35,293 --> 00:00:37,773 Speaker 2: Yeah, you too, Thank you so much for being with us. 11 00:00:37,613 --> 00:00:40,333 Speaker 2: So we're just going to explain things here so everyone 12 00:00:40,413 --> 00:00:42,093 Speaker 2: understands where we're going rude. We want to have a 13 00:00:42,133 --> 00:00:44,853 Speaker 2: talk this morning about some of the insects and animals 14 00:00:44,853 --> 00:00:49,693 Speaker 2: that can survive in freezing conditions. And Jacob is an 15 00:00:49,733 --> 00:00:52,533 Speaker 2: old mate of yours from the Sir Peter Black Trust 16 00:00:53,013 --> 00:00:55,533 Speaker 2: who's got us PhD and is now research scientist at 17 00:00:55,573 --> 00:00:59,853 Speaker 2: the Lamont Dohity Earth Observatory. And it is fascinating to consider, 18 00:01:00,293 --> 00:01:03,533 Speaker 2: even with a warming planet, the impacts of climate change 19 00:01:03,573 --> 00:01:05,733 Speaker 2: on those animals who live in the coldest parts of 20 00:01:05,773 --> 00:01:07,693 Speaker 2: our worlds. So I'm going to run through a few 21 00:01:07,693 --> 00:01:10,613 Speaker 2: different species and gents I'm going to get you to 22 00:01:10,893 --> 00:01:13,853 Speaker 2: explain how these animals were able to thrive in such 23 00:01:13,933 --> 00:01:16,733 Speaker 2: harsh conditions. So let's start off with the Greenland wolf. 24 00:01:18,093 --> 00:01:21,653 Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, we just came back from Greenland last month. 25 00:01:22,413 --> 00:01:26,053 Speaker 3: We were doing field work unrelated to the Greenland wolf, 26 00:01:26,093 --> 00:01:30,133 Speaker 3: but we happened to find these footprints as we were 27 00:01:30,213 --> 00:01:32,053 Speaker 3: going to the edge of the Greenland ice sheet, and 28 00:01:32,053 --> 00:01:34,013 Speaker 3: then as we kind of walked up a little bit further, 29 00:01:34,093 --> 00:01:38,653 Speaker 3: we then saw this Greenland wolf, which is the subspecies 30 00:01:38,693 --> 00:01:43,493 Speaker 3: of the gray wolf. Their population is only about two hundred, 31 00:01:43,973 --> 00:01:47,893 Speaker 3: so very very rare. And what's really interesting is because 32 00:01:48,133 --> 00:01:50,613 Speaker 3: the area that we were working in is so remote, 33 00:01:50,973 --> 00:01:54,013 Speaker 3: there's actually not a lot of understanding about their range 34 00:01:54,053 --> 00:01:58,213 Speaker 3: and their population, but they're only really situated in that 35 00:01:58,333 --> 00:02:01,573 Speaker 3: northern and northeastern part of Greenland. There used to be 36 00:02:01,613 --> 00:02:05,493 Speaker 3: a species in Eastern Greenland, but in the early nineteen 37 00:02:05,573 --> 00:02:10,253 Speaker 3: hundreds there was obviously a roaring fur trade. They didn't 38 00:02:10,293 --> 00:02:13,413 Speaker 3: have the same economic value as the Arctic fox, but 39 00:02:14,013 --> 00:02:17,533 Speaker 3: they basically poisoned them to extinction in East Greenland. 40 00:02:17,653 --> 00:02:20,653 Speaker 2: Oh man, that's such a shame. Yeah, but extraordinary that 41 00:02:20,653 --> 00:02:23,813 Speaker 2: you're able to see one, Jacob, I mean that's quite remarkable. Yeah, 42 00:02:23,893 --> 00:02:26,573 Speaker 2: are they beautiful? How do they kind of look so? 43 00:02:26,573 --> 00:02:28,933 Speaker 3: So? I mean I didn't really know what to expect, 44 00:02:29,373 --> 00:02:31,933 Speaker 3: to be honest, and none of us are kind of 45 00:02:32,333 --> 00:02:35,493 Speaker 3: really looking for it. It just kind of found us. Really. 46 00:02:35,533 --> 00:02:38,493 Speaker 3: We were really in a really remote place, far from 47 00:02:38,533 --> 00:02:41,533 Speaker 3: the coast, so we weren't expecting to see anything. But 48 00:02:42,373 --> 00:02:45,093 Speaker 3: I would say there were smaller wolf, not that they've 49 00:02:45,133 --> 00:02:49,053 Speaker 3: spent a huge amount of time with wolves, but definitely 50 00:02:49,253 --> 00:02:51,653 Speaker 3: they're pretty scarce on food up there, so they're not 51 00:02:51,853 --> 00:02:53,413 Speaker 3: they're not as big as some of their cousins. 52 00:02:53,573 --> 00:02:57,333 Speaker 2: Yeah, the snake species almost sounds like an oxy moron 53 00:02:57,453 --> 00:03:00,533 Speaker 2: because most of us think that mosquitoes only thrive and 54 00:03:00,653 --> 00:03:03,773 Speaker 2: warm tropical places. Tell us about the Arctic mosquito. 55 00:03:04,973 --> 00:03:07,293 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, so did I Until a month ago as well, 56 00:03:07,333 --> 00:03:10,533 Speaker 3: I couldn't believe it. We were at about eighty one 57 00:03:10,573 --> 00:03:17,973 Speaker 3: degrees north latitude and the one day it got above freezing, 58 00:03:19,013 --> 00:03:21,933 Speaker 3: mosquitoes all just kind of came out of nowhere and 59 00:03:22,253 --> 00:03:26,093 Speaker 3: started biting us and feeding feeding on us. And usually 60 00:03:26,133 --> 00:03:29,853 Speaker 3: they're they're looking for caribou or reindeer and getting blood 61 00:03:30,133 --> 00:03:34,173 Speaker 3: from them. But I guess some scientists had to do 62 00:03:34,693 --> 00:03:38,053 Speaker 3: when we showed up. But they actually they actually caused 63 00:03:38,053 --> 00:03:42,173 Speaker 3: a lot of strife for the cariboo. But crazy species. 64 00:03:42,413 --> 00:03:46,173 Speaker 3: They're basically frozen as eggs and these small ponds over 65 00:03:46,213 --> 00:03:49,213 Speaker 3: the winter and then for a few summer months they 66 00:03:49,333 --> 00:03:54,133 Speaker 3: hatch and then look for whatever they can to find blood. 67 00:03:54,573 --> 00:03:56,973 Speaker 3: But yeah, they annoyed us for one day, that's for sure. 68 00:03:57,093 --> 00:04:00,533 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's incredible. Heye, nose bottom maggots. There's something else 69 00:04:00,573 --> 00:04:01,333 Speaker 2: you want to avoid? 70 00:04:02,133 --> 00:04:04,213 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think so, because these are the things that 71 00:04:05,053 --> 00:04:08,133 Speaker 4: you find in caribous well, so there's a lot of 72 00:04:08,133 --> 00:04:11,573 Speaker 4: insects actually in that I mean, I've seen my stuff 73 00:04:11,613 --> 00:04:14,853 Speaker 4: from Alaska, not from Greenland. So this is why I 74 00:04:14,893 --> 00:04:18,733 Speaker 4: asked Jacob Jacob to come and have a chat about 75 00:04:18,733 --> 00:04:21,613 Speaker 4: this as well. The nosebot maggot, also known as the 76 00:04:21,653 --> 00:04:27,053 Speaker 4: carribou warbler flies, are huge maggots that are not that 77 00:04:27,253 --> 00:04:34,093 Speaker 4: basically spent their life cycle in the nostrils of a caribou. Unbelievable, 78 00:04:34,213 --> 00:04:36,653 Speaker 4: So in that cold place, they have to go inside 79 00:04:36,693 --> 00:04:39,933 Speaker 4: the nostrils of these curriboo in order to survive. But 80 00:04:40,053 --> 00:04:42,853 Speaker 4: what I really enjoyed was a little quote from some 81 00:04:42,973 --> 00:04:48,493 Speaker 4: caribou hunters that says, heavily infested carribou, maybe tormented by 82 00:04:48,533 --> 00:04:52,253 Speaker 4: the irritating presence of those parasites. And they might be 83 00:04:52,493 --> 00:04:56,093 Speaker 4: thinner than other cariboos, but the caribou meat is still 84 00:04:56,093 --> 00:04:59,573 Speaker 4: okay to eat. I was wonderful that. 85 00:04:59,693 --> 00:05:02,293 Speaker 2: They delighted you. And what delighted me, rude, is seeing 86 00:05:02,293 --> 00:05:04,613 Speaker 2: the photograph of you holding those maggots up to your 87 00:05:04,653 --> 00:05:08,133 Speaker 2: own face. It's just the context site. 88 00:05:08,253 --> 00:05:10,493 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Well it shows you how big these 89 00:05:10,533 --> 00:05:11,093 Speaker 4: bums are. 90 00:05:11,293 --> 00:05:13,453 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's amazing they are. They're kind of like the 91 00:05:13,453 --> 00:05:15,373 Speaker 2: size of an almond or something like that, don't. 92 00:05:15,173 --> 00:05:18,933 Speaker 4: They exactly exactly? And this is the point too, that 93 00:05:19,093 --> 00:05:22,813 Speaker 4: these particular megas have adapted to living there, and so 94 00:05:23,093 --> 00:05:26,893 Speaker 4: has the frog that around our silvests, the frozen frog 95 00:05:26,973 --> 00:05:31,293 Speaker 4: in Alaska that can stand or minus twenty degrees or 96 00:05:31,413 --> 00:05:37,213 Speaker 4: freezes solid, solidly frozen, yeah, and then thaws out in spring, 97 00:05:37,293 --> 00:05:40,653 Speaker 4: going like bug that was heavy, heavy winter, you know 98 00:05:40,693 --> 00:05:42,893 Speaker 4: what I mean. That's sort of feeling you get. And 99 00:05:42,933 --> 00:05:45,893 Speaker 4: they walk off as if nothing happened. And there are 100 00:05:46,013 --> 00:05:48,893 Speaker 4: even creatures in New Zealand that do that. We've got 101 00:05:48,933 --> 00:05:52,733 Speaker 4: an a mountain stone weather that lives in our mountains 102 00:05:52,733 --> 00:05:55,173 Speaker 4: in the rock and billers for instance, that can withstand, 103 00:05:55,253 --> 00:05:58,173 Speaker 4: and there's eleven and does exactly the same thing. It 104 00:05:58,253 --> 00:06:00,413 Speaker 4: is unbelievable how these insects can do that. 105 00:06:00,613 --> 00:06:04,173 Speaker 2: So they're basically cryogenically freezing themselves in winter, yeah, just 106 00:06:04,333 --> 00:06:07,173 Speaker 2: frozen solid. And then once the with the warms up 107 00:06:07,173 --> 00:06:09,813 Speaker 2: a little bit, they're able to de ice if you like. 108 00:06:09,973 --> 00:06:11,333 Speaker 1: Yes, that's exactly. 109 00:06:11,613 --> 00:06:14,413 Speaker 4: And they do that by putting more sugar into their 110 00:06:14,453 --> 00:06:18,173 Speaker 4: cells and crystals between the cells so that the shells 111 00:06:18,213 --> 00:06:20,533 Speaker 4: themselves don't get damage. It's quite an interesting. 112 00:06:21,213 --> 00:06:22,573 Speaker 2: Well, if there's one thing I know how to do, 113 00:06:22,693 --> 00:06:25,973 Speaker 2: it's putting more sugar into my cell. So yeah, very good. 114 00:06:26,013 --> 00:06:30,173 Speaker 4: Now. And ice on the glaciers, yeah, that is the 115 00:06:30,213 --> 00:06:32,813 Speaker 4: thing that only occurs in Alaska. And here comes the thing. 116 00:06:33,133 --> 00:06:36,253 Speaker 4: It can stand minus ten degrees, no problem, and it 117 00:06:36,293 --> 00:06:40,373 Speaker 4: can stand up to four point four degrees above zero. 118 00:06:40,733 --> 00:06:44,333 Speaker 4: But if it gets higher than that, they die. And 119 00:06:44,413 --> 00:06:47,493 Speaker 4: these are amazing little worms tentimeters long, and they're the 120 00:06:47,533 --> 00:06:50,893 Speaker 4: cleaner uppers off the glaciers and they basically clean up 121 00:06:50,973 --> 00:06:53,773 Speaker 4: all the stuff they've got it, from pollen to algae 122 00:06:54,053 --> 00:06:58,253 Speaker 4: to even creatures that fly up glaciers like moths and 123 00:06:58,373 --> 00:07:01,253 Speaker 4: I've seen them do that and it's unbelievable. But there 124 00:07:01,333 --> 00:07:03,933 Speaker 4: you go. I mean it's Jacob who does the climate 125 00:07:04,013 --> 00:07:07,653 Speaker 4: change research. There are so many that are endangered as 126 00:07:07,653 --> 00:07:11,413 Speaker 4: a result of warmer temperatures in the Arctic. 127 00:07:11,573 --> 00:07:15,053 Speaker 2: Yeah, hey, thank you so much, guys. Jacob. I've got 128 00:07:15,093 --> 00:07:17,093 Speaker 2: to say, I mean we've sort of known each other 129 00:07:17,093 --> 00:07:19,773 Speaker 2: for a wee while. Now Jacob has the world's most 130 00:07:19,893 --> 00:07:24,653 Speaker 2: enviable Instagram account. If you're looking for someone to be 131 00:07:24,653 --> 00:07:27,893 Speaker 2: posting amazing photos of science being done in extraordinary parts 132 00:07:27,893 --> 00:07:30,093 Speaker 2: of the world, Jacob, you have the best Instagram account going. 133 00:07:30,133 --> 00:07:32,733 Speaker 3: I reckon, Thank you, Jack. I was going to say 134 00:07:32,733 --> 00:07:36,173 Speaker 3: as well, just on Route's comment about the ice worms, 135 00:07:36,533 --> 00:07:39,733 Speaker 3: this is really interesting too. As the surfaces of the 136 00:07:39,773 --> 00:07:42,933 Speaker 3: ice get darker, so if there's more dark things like 137 00:07:43,213 --> 00:07:48,133 Speaker 3: animals or algae or palms, of course the albedo effect 138 00:07:48,213 --> 00:07:51,453 Speaker 3: or the ability to reflect changes and so the heat 139 00:07:51,493 --> 00:07:54,693 Speaker 3: gets absorbed rather than reflected, which of course causes more 140 00:07:54,693 --> 00:07:57,813 Speaker 3: melt as well. So as we see more of these 141 00:07:58,013 --> 00:08:01,173 Speaker 3: dark things on the ice surfaces, and we also start 142 00:08:01,213 --> 00:08:02,373 Speaker 3: to see more melt. 143 00:08:02,773 --> 00:08:05,453 Speaker 2: Yeah, well that's amazing. Hey, thank you so much, guys. 144 00:08:05,693 --> 00:08:08,093 Speaker 2: That is really interesting. We're gonna put photographs of all 145 00:08:08,133 --> 00:08:10,733 Speaker 2: of those different species up on the website so you 146 00:08:10,733 --> 00:08:12,053 Speaker 2: can go and have a look at home, including that 147 00:08:12,093 --> 00:08:14,053 Speaker 2: photo of Rude holding the maggots up to his face. 148 00:08:14,053 --> 00:08:15,573 Speaker 2: Probably not for the first time in his life, let's 149 00:08:15,613 --> 00:08:19,253 Speaker 2: be honest, knowing Rude. Jacob Anderson, PhD and Rude Climb 150 00:08:19,253 --> 00:08:20,413 Speaker 2: pass with us there. 151 00:08:20,933 --> 00:08:24,053 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame. Listen live 152 00:08:24,133 --> 00:08:26,973 Speaker 1: to News Talks ed B from nine am Saturday, or 153 00:08:27,013 --> 00:08:28,933 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.