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Category: Science communication
Ancient DNA reveals a hidden history of human adaptation
Humans may be just as vulnerable to environmental change as other animals, according to our new research analysing genetic data from more than a thousand people who lived across Europe and Asia over the past 45,000 years. We found traces of more than 50 “hard sweeps” in which a rare genetic variant rapidly swept through […]
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On a tiny Australian island, snakes feasting on seabirds evolved huge jaws in a surprisingly short time
A study by researchers from the University of Adelaide and other institutions has found that in a population of island tiger snakes the bones in their jaws increase in length after feeding on large prey, while their mainland counterparts show no change. The new study presents the first detailed examination of the effects that diet […]
TREENET National Street Tree Symposium success
Over 330 delegates attended the recent TREENET 23rd National Street Tree Symposium, held in Adelaide in September, making it the most successful ever! The Environment Institute’s Professor Robert Hill delivered the Bob Such Keynote Address at the Symposium. Professor Hill is an expert on how Australian flora has changed in response to the changing climate […]
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Ecologist wins Distinguished Alumni Award for research on invasive alien species across three continents
Dr Pablo García-Díaz, collaborator with Assoc Professor Phill Cassey‘s Invasion Science and Wildlife Ecology Group and previous University of Adelaide PhD student, has been awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions in recognition of the impact his research on invasive alien species has had in Australia, Europe and South America. […]
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Changes in marine ecosystems going undetected
Existing ways of calculating biodiversity dynamics are not very effective in detecting wholesale species community change due to the effects of ocean acidification. University of Adelaide research shows that in cases where biodiversity metrics show no change or little change, there may still be reorganisation of ecological communities in our oceans. “The belief that climate […]
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Study finds famous Australian caves are up to 500,000 years older than we thought – and it could help explain a megafauna mystery
South Australia’s Naracoorte Caves is one of the world’s best fossil sites, containing a record spanning more than half a million years. Among the remains preserved in layers of sand are the bones of many iconic Australian megafauna species that became extinct between 48,000 and 37,000 years ago. The reasons for the demise of these […]
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We helped fill a major climate change knowledge gap, thanks to 130,000-year-old sediment in Sydney lakes
Plants capture around half the carbon we emit by burning fossil fuels, making them a crucial part of mitigating climate change. But carbon is often released back into the atmosphere when plants die, decompose and eventually turn into dirt. Carbon is only permanently removed from the atmosphere if it’s stored in sediments that accumulate at the bottom […]
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Upcoming Three Minute Thesis final
Good luck to School of Agriculture, Food and Wine PhD Candidate Isobel Hume, who is a Three Minute Thesis (3MT) finalist and will present her research on ‘Urban Food Security’ at tomorrow’s 3MT Final! Isobel is a student of Environment Institute’s Soil Scientist Prof Tim Cavagnaro. The 3MT competition involves explaining years of research, or their 100,000 word thesis, in […]
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Tropical and desert grasses may migrate further south
The maximum summer temperature and the amount of rainfall in summer are the two climate factors that determine the type of native grass that grows in a region, Australian researchers have found in a recent study. A rise in global temperatures due to a change in climate may lead to tropical and desert grasses growing […]
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Housing design for older South Aussies under the spotlight
University of Adelaide researchers will investigate the quality of housing for older South Australians to improve their wellbeing and resilience to extreme weather. People at least 65 years old and who live independently in the Charles Sturt, Playford, Salisbury, Port Adelaide Enfield and Murray Bridge council areas are invited to take part in the study. […]
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