Latest News
Native mints: sorting out a family[24 May 2012]
Dr Trevor Wilson, an associate lecturer from the School of Biological Sciences, has recently been awarded an Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) research grant to resolve relationships, describe new species, and study the evolution within the Prostantheroideae group. More
Limpet research lands fellowship[21 May 2012]
Limpets may not look like much, but the health of these aquatic gastropods is an indication of the health of the water they inhabit. Sonia Brazao, from the School of Biological Sciences, was recently awarded a doctoral fellowship from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) for her proposed investigation of these snail-like creatures. More
Did dingoes kill thylacines?[3 May 2012]
There has long been debate as to what caused the extinction of the thylacine from mainland Australia. Was it dingoes, humans or hunger? More
Just ask the locals: new way to tell if a species is native[17 February 2012]
'You'll get the best advice from asking the locals' is a tip often used by travellers. It's also a radical new way to determine whether an introduced species has become a native species - by asking the other local species - according to research by Alexandra Carthey, a PhD student in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sydney, and her supervisor Associate Professor Peter Banks. More
Hotter homes produce smarter babies[12 January 2012]
A hotter home appears to produce babies with better cognitive abilities - but before you turn up the home heater to make your baby brainier, the research was conducted on the Australian lizard Bassiana duperreyi. More
Scientists get funny at Bright Club[10 January 2012]
Turning science into stand-up comedy, three scientists in the division of Natural Sciences at the University of Sydney will take to the stage as part of Bright Club at the Sydney Festival over three nights in January. More
Winners in the Australian Innovation Challenge[13 December 2011]
University of Sydney scientists have won Australian Innovation Challenge awards for their research - Professor Rick Shine, from the School of Biological Sciences, has won the Environment award. More
Star Wars-inspired bacterium provides glimpse into the evolution of life[7 December 2011]
Fans of Star Wars would know of Midi-chlorians as helpful microbes that live inside cells granting the mystical power known as "The Force", but a bacterium of the same name has provided new clues into the evolution of our own cells and how they came to possess the vital energy-producing units called mitochondria. More
Professor Rick Shine wins NSW Science and Engineering Award [24 November 2011]
Professor Rick Shine, from the School of Biological Sciences, has won the Plant and Animal Research category of the NSW Science and Engineering Awards, announced at a ceremony at Government House on 23 November 2011. More
Winner of Paris Goodsell Grant in Aid for marine ecology[17 November 2011]
Dave McElroy is the first recipient of a Grant in Aid, created in memory of Dr Paris Goodsell, to support student research in marine ecology. More
The rules of social interaction: attraction, repulsion and one close neighbour[9 November 2011]
There are three rules that govern social interactions: attraction, repulsion and the actions of one close neighbour. Or at least that's the case for the social interactions of animals in large groups, allowing them to move in synchronised formations - some of the most remarkable sights in nature - as found by James Herbert-Read, Dr Tim Schaerf and Associate Professor Ashley Ward, from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sydney. More
Climate change and humans caused extinction of Ice Age mammals [3 November 2011]
In the largest study of its kind, an international team of scientists - including Dr Simon Ho - have unravelled the factors that caused the extinction of iconic Ice Age mammals such as the woolly rhinoceros and woolly mammoth. More