UP researcher discovers two new dung beetle species which don't roll balls or use dung

Posted on November 13, 2024

Over the past two decades, field trips in search of dung beetles have taken University of Pretoria (UP) doctoral student Christian Deschodt across Southern Africa. But it was a well-trodden walk to fetch his kids from school, a mere 1,5km from his home near Hartbeespoort, that saw him stumble...

UP researchers involved in discovery of nine trapdoor spider species

Posted on April 08, 2024

Nine new trapdoor spider species have been discovered in the Great Karoo by researchers at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Zoology and Entomology, and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

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-US study maps roaming habits of elephants in Southern Africa to boost conservation efforts

Posted on November 24, 2022

A new series of maps drawn up by Emeritus Professor Rudi van Aarde of the University of Pretoria (UP) and Dr Ryan Huang of Duke University in the US details where African elephants prefer to roam in Southern Africa.

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...

Beetles use mimicry to fool bees into feeding them

Posted on May 19, 2022

A breakthrough study from the University of Pretoria has found that small hive beetles trapped inside a honeybee nest sneakily entice the very bees that keep them prisoner into providing them with the best of what there is to feed on in the hive – even some of the queen’s portion.

Better prediction of tiny bloodsuckers to protect livestock

Posted on December 20, 2021

Most South Africans love eating meat, but animal diseases regularly threaten a constant, affordable supply.

Can elephants smell water?

Posted on December 16, 2021

Water is a vital resource for mammals. This is especially true for African elephants that generally drink every day but can go two to three days between drinks. As they have an exceptional sense of smell, it has been suggested that elephants may locate water using olfactory cues. However, there...