Arid conditions stimulate plant trait diversity – UP part of worldwide study that offers hope for biodiversity conservation

Posted on September 25, 2024

The University of Pretoria (UP) has been part of a groundbreaking international study to understand how plants found in drylands have adapted to these extreme habitats. The results of this large-scale study, which involved 120 scientists from 27 countries, were recently published in scientific...

UP researchers discover optimum way to monitor blood oxygen levels in immobilised rhino, boosting efforts to combat poaching

Posted on August 14, 2024

New research by scientists at the University of Pretoria (UP) has shown that pulse oximeters, originally designed for humans, can be used more effectively to monitor the blood oxygen levels of rhinoceroses who are under anaesthesia and immobilised – by attaching them at an unusual site: the...

Research shows there are more warm-bodied sharks than previously thought

Posted on November 15, 2023

New research arising from a collaboration between scientists at the University of Pretoria (UP) and Trinity College Dublin has shown there are likely more warm-bodied sharks out there than previously thought.

UP researchers close in on the secret to aging

Posted on October 23, 2023

The quest for immortality has long fascinated humans, and inspired countless tales – now, in two new studies published in the journals Nature and Science, University of Pretoria (UP) researchers, along with a team of global experts known as the Mammalian Methylation Consortium, are a step...

UP researchers decode genome of king protea

Posted on May 24, 2023

University of Pretoria (UP) researchers are at the forefront of a very special first for South African plant sciences. They have unravelled the precise genetic make-up of the country’s national flower, the king protea (Protea cynaroides). It is the first plant that’s unique to South...

UP microbiologists discover rich diversity of life in Antarctica’s cold, dry soils

Posted on December 07, 2022

The ice-free areas of Antarctica were initially thought to be devoid of life, but with the advent of modern genetic technologies, scientists now know that microorganisms have adapted to living in this extreme environment.

UP scientist joins call to protect Southern Ocean

Posted on November 02, 2022

The Southern Ocean around Antarctica needs urgent protection – for the sake of the rest of the world. This marine wilderness is threatened by climate change and commercial fisheries, says University of Pretoria (UP) macro-ecologist Dr Luis Pertierra, an expert on the natural value of the...

UP part of international study that reveals role of termites in earth’s carbon cycle

Posted on September 28, 2022

The University of Pretoria (UP) recently participated in an international study led by the University of Miami to investigate termite and microbial wood discovery and decay. Termites release carbon from the wood as methane and carbon dioxide, which are two of the most important greenhouse gases...

UP-led Hot Birds Project homes in on how extreme heat affects bird species

Posted on June 22, 2022

Rising temperatures as a result of climate change will affect bird species differently, and their abilities to withstand extremely hot conditions depend on the part of the world that they find themselves in and the climatic region to which their physiology has become adapted over the course of...

UP study finds that lions hunt particular cattle types

Posted on February 09, 2022

When wild lions sneak up on a herd of cattle to grab an easy meal, the dice seem to be loaded more heavily against certain herd members, which are more likely than the others to be killed and eaten, according to a new study conducted by scientists from the University of Pretoria (UP).