Featured Research: People & Society

  • Infographic

    Developing the pan-mammalian clock

    This infographic explains how the universal pan-mammalian clock was developed to determine the age of mammals in the wild for conservation and the preservation of endangered species. The clock can be used in forensic science to estimate the correct age of a victim at the time of death or the age of a suspect based on forensic evidence.

  • Photo

    The pan-mammalian clock

    Aging has long been thought to be the result of random cellular damage or degradation over time, but this latest research shows that the epigenetic aspects of aging in fact follow a predetermined “programme”.

  • Story

    UP-linked study reveals climate-smart water storage strategies adopted by Great Zimbabwe in Middle Ages

    A study involving the University of Pretoria (UP), along with academics from Great Zimbabwe University, University of Cambridge in the UK and Aarhus University in Denmark, has revealed how Great Zimbabwe – the largest city in Southern Africa during the Middle Ages – stored water in dhaka pits to overcome severe water scarcity and drought.

  • Gallery

    A day in the life of an archeologist at Great Zimbabwe

    Water security is currently among the most significant global challenges for human subsistence and environmental health. UP archeologists have discovered that during the middle ages, the people of Great Zimbabwe developed means to conserve water which could make for effective strategies in terms of water management and conservation today.

  • Talking Point

    UP researchers explain why African solutions are needed for breast cancer

    Researchers at the University of Pretoria (UP) have been working to identify genes that make African women more susceptible to certain forms of breast cancer. However, this is no easy task as very little genomic information is known about African populations.

  • Story

    UP-UKZN study investigates likelihood of farmers choosing compost made of human poop

    University of Pretoria (UP) researchers lent their expertise to a recent study led by the University of KwaZulu-Natal and found that rural farmers in KwaZulu-Natal are open to buying and using compost made from human sewage as long as they can be sure that it is safe, affordable and works as well as other products on the market.

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