UP experts contribute to discovery of new ‘superpowers’ in mole rats, which could inform human health interventions

Posted on June 04, 2024

University of Pretoria (UP) scientists have contributed to discovering how the naked mole rat is able to withstand heart attacks and fend off bowel cancer, two of the most fatal human ailments in the developed world. Their findings were published recently in two Nature Communications papers.

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...

Moo-nlight Sonata: UP study finds that cows soothed by classical music produce more milk

Posted on March 15, 2023

A University of Pretoria (UP) study has shown that playing soothing classical music to dairy cows lowers their stress levels and increases their milk production.

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.

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...