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 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...

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...