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« Back to NewsOxford welcomes new Schmidt AI in Science Fellows
29 April 2025
Ten new Fellows have joined the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship programme at the University of Oxford. Now entering its third year, the programme is helping to accelerate the next scientific revolution by applying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to research across the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematical sciences.
Paying fishers to release endangered catches can aid conservation but only if done right
24 April 2025
The study, led by the Department of Biology and published in Science Advances, is the world’s first randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of an incentive-based marine conservation programme conclusively.
From The Conversation: If we must bring back extinct species, let’s focus on the giant herbivores
16 April 2025
An impressive feat for Colossal Biosciences would be re-engineering large animals to provide lost ecological functions writes Professor Tim Coulson in The Conversation.
Linnean Medal 2025 awarded to wildlife biologist Professor David Macdonald
9 April 2025
Professor David Macdonald, who founded the Department of Biology’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), has been awarded the Linnean Medal for long-standing and significant contributions to natural sciences.
How elephants plan journeys: New study reveals energy-saving strategies
28 March 2025
A new study has revealed that African elephants have an extraordinary ability to meet their colossal food requirements as efficiently as possible.
The changing chorus: movements and memories influence birdsong evolution
10 March 2025
New research from the Department of Biology has provided fresh insights into how bird songs evolve over time, revealing a significant role for population dynamics in shaping song diversity and change. The findings – based on an analysis of over 100,000 bird songs – have been published today in Current Biology.
New study highlights ways to future-proof cocoa production
17 February 2025
A new research study led by researchers in the Department of Biology demonstrates that sustainable agricultural practices that both protect pollinator populations and mitigate climate risks could help secure – and even improve – global cocoa yields.
From The Conversation: The global plant trade is spreading invasive species to Europe
29 January 2025
Amy Hinsley, Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Biology, and Silviu Petrovan, Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, investigate the risks involved in the increasing trade in trees, cut flowers, pot plants, bulbs and foliage.
Study shows plants are more likely to be ‘eavesdroppers’ than altruists when tapping into underground networks
28 January 2025
Instead of using their communication networks to transmit warning signals, the Department of Biology led findings suggest it is more likely that plants ‘eavesdrop’ on their neighbours.
In The Conversation: Lynx in Scotland – why illegal attempts to reintroduce lost species are surprisingly common
16 January 2025
For more than 500 years, no lynx had roamed the British countryside. That changed with the recent release of four of these large cats in the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland.
Logged tropical forests are still valuable for biodiversity, study finds
13 January 2025
A research team led by the University of Oxford has carried out the most comprehensive assessment to date of how logging and conversion to oil palm plantations affect tropical forest ecosystems.
Botanists name beautiful new species of ‘lipstick vine’ from the Philippine rainforest
16 December 2024
Scientists have announced the discovery of a species of lipstick vine completely new to science, from the depths of the Philippine rainforest.
New project aims to transform how wildlife trade is monitored and managed
9 December 2024
The University of Oxford will play a leading role in a new project to develop indicators to measure progress towards globally agreed conservation targets, backed by $1.9 million funding from The Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Chimpanzees perform the same complex behaviours that have brought humans success
6 December 2024
A new study led by the University of Oxford suggests that the fundamental abilities underlying human language and technological culture may have evolved before humans and apes diverged millions of years ago.
New study reveals the explosive secret of the squirting cucumber
26 November 2024
A team led by the University of Oxford has solved a mystery that has intrigued scientists for centuries: how does the squirting cucumber squirt? The findings were achieved through a combination of experiments, high-speed videography, image analysis, and advanced mathematical modelling.
Ethiopian wolves reported to feed on nectar for the first time
25 November 2024
Researchers are reporting a previously undocumented behaviour of Ethiopian wolves – feeding on the nectar of Ethiopian red hot poker flowers – the first large carnivore species ever to be documented feeding on nectar.
In The Conversation: The climate and biodiversity crises are entwined, but we risk pitting one against the other
18 November 2024
Climate change and biodiversity policies have largely evolved in isolation, even though the two crises are deeply intertwined. The three summits in quick succession make this is an important opportunity to align these agendas. Healthy ecosystems are crucial for climate resilience, while a stable climate is essential to protecting biodiversity.
Work with nature to unlock economic prosperity, says major Oxford study
31 October 2024
A comprehensive review of the economic impacts of nature-based solutions (NbS), led by the University of Oxford and published this week in PLOS Climate, concludes they can unlock prosperity by boosting local economies, increasing agricultural productivity and creating jobs.
New study confirms beehive fences are highly effective in reducing human-elephant conflict
30 October 2024
A ground-breaking, nine-year study has revealed that elephants approaching small-scale farms in Kenya avoid beehive fences housing live honey bees up to 86% of the time during peak crop seasons, helping to reduce human-elephant conflict for local farmers and boost income.
Study finds that better ocean connectivity boosts reef fish populations
24 October 2024
Research led by the University of Oxford has found that oceanographic connectivity (the movement and exchange of water between different parts of the ocean) is a key influence for fish abundance across the Western Indian Ocean (WIO).