It's time again for the fourth annual Your Yukon Christmas Quiz. The answers to all of the questions are contained within your Yukon columns printed in the Yukon News during 2000. If you are stumped, you can find the original columns in the archives.

1. What strange activity is displayed by which fish in Lake Laberge?
    
   
   1. Burbots that burrow.
   2. Trout that tango.
   3. Grayling that gravitate.
   4. All of the above.
   
   
2. Why are ice cores being drilled into the glaciers on Mount Logan?
    
   
   1. The cores will be shipped to Saudi Arabia and used to make designer drinking water.
   2. The Alpine Club of Canada is looking for a valuable crampon lost by the first person to climb the mountain.
   3. Scientists are looking for information on climate change.
   4. The ice cores could help determine the exact height of the mountain.
   
   
3. Why is satellite telemetry a boon for bird biologists?
    
   
   1. They can find out what the birds eat as they are migrating.
   2. They do not have to stand around in cold water watching the birds as much.
   3. They can track migrating birds as they cover huge distances every year.
   4. It is less expensive to use satellites carried by birds than the ones sent into orbit.
   
   
4. What distinguishes Kluane grizzly bears?
    
   
   1. They travel on glaciers more than other grizzly bears.
   2. They are the most genetically diverse population of grizzly bears in North America.
   3. They eat greater quantities of soapberries than any other grizzlies in the world.
   4. They are often observed sliding down snowfields just for fun.
   
   
5. What are microsatellites?
    
   
   1. Tiny satellites used to track migrating birds.
   2. The newest hot Christmas toy.
   3. Repetitive pieces of DNA.
   4. Instruments used to measure movement in the earth's mantle.
   
   
6. What are calcretes?
    
   
   1. Delicate fingers of carbonate rock.
   2. Concrete made in Calgary.
   3. White sediments found in sand.
   4. Areas of plaque that form on the teeth of predatory animals.
   
   
7. Why are mosquitoes an important part of northern ecosystems?
    
   
   1. They take your mind off of the blackflies.
   2. They are an important food source for young birds and fish.
   3. They are an important source of stories used to impress southern friends and relatives.
   4. All of the above.
   
   
8. Which species have been mentioned in Your Yukon columns as being affected by climate change?
    
   
   1. Dogmushers.
   2. Ice-fishing enthusiasts.
   3. Parasites and pikas.
   4. Goats and grasshoppers.
   
   
9. Why are pingoes like people?
    
   
   1. They are born, grow and die as do humans.
   2. They burp.
   3. Each one is a genetically distinct individual.
   4. They wear toupees when they start to go bald.
   
   
10. What does WMO stand for? (as cited in column #179)
     
    
    1. World Meteorological Organization.
    2. Women Make Origami.
    3. White Male Osprey.
    4. Waste Management Operations.
    
    
11. Why is the sandy region around Carcross not a real desert?
     
    
    1. The sand is not fine enough.
    2. There are no scorpions or cactus there.
    3. It is not dry enough.
    4. All of the above.
    
    
12. What is sugar snow?
     
    
    1. The stuff you sprinkle on top of ice cream cones.
    2. A common name for cup-shaped crystals that do not bond well with each other.
    3. Snowflakes deposited at extremely low temperatures.
    4. The opposite of yellow snow.
    
    
13. Why does the Arctic Circle wander?
     
    
    1. It wants to find its twin -- the Antarctic Circle.
    2. The tilt of the Earth's axis changes over time.
    3. The sun wobbles in its orbit.
    4. It gets tired of being stuck in the dark for so long, and is looking for some sun.
    
    
14. Why is the caribou poop discovered on ice patches in the southern Yukon considered to be such an important find?
     
    
    1. The quantities of it are so great that it could be burned as an alternative fuel.
    2. It can be analyzed to determine genotypes of ancient caribou.
    3. It has been used to prove once and for all that Santa uses wild caribou, not reindeer, to pull his sleigh.
    
    

Have a happy holiday season, from the staff at Environment Canada, Yukon.