All news
-
16 Sep 2022
Strawberries were smaller when bees ingested pesticides
Solitary bees that ingested the pesticide clothianidin when foraging from rapeseed flowers became slower. In addition, the strawberries pollinated by these bees were smaller. This ...
-
30 Aug 2022
Study reveals flaws in popular genetic method
The most common analytical method within population genetics is deeply flawed, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden. This may have led to incorrect results and m...
-
23 Aug 2022
Researchers develop the first AI-based method for dating archeological remains
By analyzing DNA with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), an international research team led by Lund University in Sweden has developed a method that can accurately date up t...
-
31 May 2022
Ostriches can adapt to heat or cold – but not both
The ostrich is genetically wired to adapt to rising or falling temperatures. However, when the temperature fluctuates more often, as it does with climate change, the flightless bir...
-
24 May 2022
What happens when plants have stress reactions to touch?
A 30-year-old genetic mystery has been solved. It has previously been established that touch can trigger stress reactions in plants. However, the molecular models for explaining th...
-
18 Mar 2022
Two researchers in biology receive ERC Consolidator Grants
Brain cells that control the behaviour of insects, extreme gene expression in Italian sparrows and how radiotherapy alters the microenvironment in aggressive brain tumours. Three r...
-
17 Mar 2022
Black swifts descended rapidly during lunar eclipse
An international research team led by Lund University in Sweden has managed to study the flight behaviour of the mysterious black swift. They found, among other things, that the bl...
-
16 Dec 2021
The sky’s the limit: Using airborne DNA to monitor insect biodiversity
Scientists at Lund University have discovered for the first time that it is possible to detect insect DNA in the air. Using air from three sites in Sweden, insect DNA from 85 speci...
-
5 Oct 2021
Study supports theory that dragonflies migrate across the Indian Ocean
Can dragonflies migrate thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean, from India via the Maldives to Africa, and back again? An international research team led by Lund University in ...
-
30 Sep 2021
Entire genome of common forest pest now revealed
Researchers have successfully mapped the entire genome of the Eurasian spruce bark beetle. The breakthrough paves the way for new research into bark beetles and better prospects fo...
-
1 Sep 2021
Pandemic restrictions enabled unique bird study
How do birds avoid collision when flying in dense foliage and other cramped environments with many obstacles? And what does flying in such complex environments entail for the birds...
-
31 Aug 2021
Bees need more trees
There is an increasing awareness that pollinating insects need flowers rich in pollen and nectar. A new study shows that trees can be just as important for survival – at least for ...
-
30 Jul 2021
Artificial light disrupts dung beetles’ sense of direction
For the first time, researchers have been able to prove that city lights limit the ability of nocturnal animals to navigate by natural light in the night sky. Instead, they are for...
-
1 Jul 2021
Astonishing altitude changes in marathon flights of migratory birds
Extreme differences in flight altitude between day and night may have been an undetected pattern amongst migratory birds – until now. The observation was made by researchers at Lun...
-
4 Jun 2021
Genomics-informed decisions can help save species from extinction
Researchers in Lund, Copenhagen and Norwich have shown that harmful mutations present in the DNA play an important – yet neglected – role in the conservation and translocation prog...
-
20 May 2021
A stressful life in the city affects birds' genes
Great tits living in cities are genetically different from great tits in the countryside. This is what researchers have found in a unique study, where they examined populations of ...
-
18 May 2021
New species formed when the Mediterranean dried up
A new study may have uncovered why wall lizards have become the most successful reptile in the Mediterranean region. The results reveal how drastic changes in sea levels and climat...
-
7 May 2021
Migratory songbirds climb to extreme altitudes during daytime
Great reed warblers normally migrate by night during its month-long migration from northern Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa. However, researchers have now discovered that during the f...
-
9 Apr 2021
Birds' blood functions as heating system in winter
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered that bird blood produces more heat in winter, when it is colder, than in autumn. The study is published in The FASEB Journa...
-
6 Apr 2021
Fish behaviour and appearance affected by stress
Jerker Vinterstare at Lund University has studied the crucian carp species. In his doctoral thesis, he shows that residues of antidepressant medication in the water can cause chang...