News

Ashley Simkins, a PhD candidate in this department is the lead author of a study reported in the journal PLOS Biology, that highlights both conservation successes and the need for urgent action.  Other co-authors from the Dept of Zoology were Prof William Sutherland, Prof Lynn Dicks and Dr Silviu Petrovan.The research was led by the University of C…

Nile Stephenson a postgraduate student in the Deep-time Ecology Group here in Zoology is the lead author of a new study that shows social media can help scientists track animal species as they relocate in response to climate change.The “range” inhabited by many species is shifting, and this is mostly tracked by formal monitoring schemes and surveys…

Professor Rhys Green, Emeritus Honorary Professor of Conservation Science here at the Dept of Zoology, is the lead author of two reports, published in the journal Conservation Evidence, that conclude that a voluntary pledge made by UK shooting organisations in 2020 to replace lead shot with non-toxic alternatives by 2025 has failed.The pledge, made…

Zoology was well-represented at the 7th International Conference on Oil Palm and the Environment, in Bali, Indonesia last month. The theme of the conference was 'Oil palm agro-ecological transformation: towards climate- and nature-positive agriculture'.The Conference is an important platform for academics, scientists, government officials, financia…

A new study published in Royal Society Open Science reveals the significant potential of leveraging existing systematic evidence databases to mitigate hazards in the global food system. The research was led by Dr David Willer and Dr Silviu O Petrovan, who are based here at the Department of Zoology, with a team from the Institute for Manufacturing,…

Picture credit: François BrassardAnts are among the most successful creatures on Earth, thriving in ecosystems worldwide. But what drives their extraordinary social complexity and division of labour? New research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) uncovers a key evolutionary shift that transformed these tiny insects…

A paper published today in the journal Science, co-authored by Prof Andrew Balmford and other members of the Dept of Zoology’s Conservation Science Group, calls on the global community to recognise that rewilding productive farmland or forestry in industrialised nations may do more harm than good on a planetary scale.Exploratory analysis by the tea…

A study published in the journal Genes and Development by Torsten Krude with co-authors Olivier Hyrien and Guillaume Guilbaud, sheds new light on the controversial field of mammalian DNA replication origins. These initiation sites for genomic DNA replication have been historically difficult to identify and their determinants are still unresolved.Th…

The previously hidden diversity of shrews has been revealed in research by recent Zoology MPhil graduate, Haobo Yuan and Dr Robert Asher, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.Entitled ‘The Origin and Evolution of Shrews’, the paper describes this investigation of shrews’ anatomy, palaeontology, and molecular biology which has uncover…

Research based in the Department of Zoology has potentially advanced the resolution of one of evolutionary biology’s greatest mysteries: how our complex brains evolved from simpler nervous systems.The research is described in a new paper, ‘An ancient apical patterning system sets the position of the forebrain in chordates’, published in Science Adv…

A new study published in the journal Bioscience on the global ornamental plant trade describes how insects, fungi, reptiles, spiders and agricultural pests are being transported live and undetected across the world on cut flowers and inside pot plants.  Despite regulations and border checks, the sheer volume of trade makes it difficult to monitor a…

New research by 18 global wildlife conservation funders, in collaboration with Prof. Sutherland and the Conservation Evidence team, outlines the need to transform conservation action by encouraging evidence-based decision making when awarding grants.The paper, titled ‘Approaches for integrating evidence of the effectiveness of actions in conservati…

Congratulations to Professor Rebecca Kilner, our Head of Department, winner of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) Medal 2024, for her contribution to the science of animal behaviour. Professor Kilner was delighted to receive the award. She said, ‘I’m bowled over by this huge honour but it’s important to acknowledge that scienc…

image credit: Jacqueline GargetMuseum of Zoology invites visitors to chat to specimens in novel AI experimentSpecimens in the Museum are being brought to life through the power of Artificial Intelligence, in a project aiming to strengthen our connection with the natural world and reverse apathy towards biodiversity loss. We’ve teamed up with Nature…

image: Chaffinch in vineyard. photo by Natalie ZielonkaIncreased bird sound diversity in vineyards enhances visitor' tour experienceA  new research paper, conducted by University of East Anglia and Professor Lynn Dicks from Cambridge University's Zoology Department, has found that a larger level of bird song diversity increases visitor enjoyment an…