Science and the Environments
226 results found
Page 2 of 12
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Antarctic fossil leaves tell story of evergreen and deciduous forests millions of years ago
Well-preserved fossil leaves have been found to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula and recently studied by a University of Melbourne research team, providing evidence that forests grew at high latitudes 56 to 58 million years ago.
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Plant clock could be the key to producing more food for the world
A University of Melbourne led study has established how plants use their metabolism to tell time and know when to grow - a discovery that could help leverage growing crops in different environments, including different seasons, different latitudes or even in artificial environments and vertical gardens.
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Australia's oldest rock painting is a kangaroo
A two-metre-long painting of a kangaroo in Western Australia’s Kimberley region has been identified as Australia’s oldest intact rock painting.
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First humans in Tasmania must have seen spectacular auroras
Drilling a 270,000-year old core from a Tasmanian lake has provided the first Australian record of a major global event where the Earth’s magnetic field ‘switched’- and the opportunity to establish a precedent for developing new paleomagnetic dating tools for Australian archaeology and paleosciences.
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Tasmanian tiger pups found to be extraordinarily similar to wolf pups
Micro-CT scanning and digital reconstructions have been used to compare the skulls of the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) and wolf across their early development and into adulthood, establishing that not only did the thylacine resemble the wolf as adults, but also as newborns and juveniles.
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Genomes reveal insights into much-loved Aussie animals
The genomes of egg-laying monotreme mammals, platypus and echidna, have been published in the prestigious journal Nature, providing a valuable public resource for research in mammalian biology and evolution, with applications for their conservation and health.
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Coronavirus escalated armed conflicts in several war-torn countries
Armed conflict activities increased in five countries during the first wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to new research.
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STEM superstars call for more gender and cultural diversity
They specialise in different science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects but all have one thing in common – they’re all STEM superstars.
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Researchers map electrons to move one step closer to better quantum computers
Australian researchers have determined the ‘sweet spot’ for positioning qubits to achieve high-accuracy quantum computers.
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University research hub one step closer for Point Nepean
The University of Melbourne and Monash University will begin developing a business case to support a proposed world-leading research and education field station at Point Nepean, following constructive discussions with Parks Victoria.
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Aboriginal knowledge key to fight against bushfires and climate change: Narrm Oration
Australia needs to trust Aboriginal people and their knowledge of country and bushfires as they can help solve the environmental crisis that has seen the fastest rate of biodiversity loss on Earth, says Associate Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher, in the University of Melbourne’s key annual address, the Narrm Oration.
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Changes in fire activity are threatening more than 4,400 species globally
Changes in fire activity are putting at risk more than 4,400 species across the globe, says a new paper led by the University of Melbourne, involving 27 international researchers.
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Can animals use iridescent colours to communicate?
A new paper from the University of Melbourne reveals how animals use beautiful but unreliable iridescent colours as communication signals. Special adaptations enable animals to control how these shifting colours appear so that they can convey reliable information
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Dollar value put on Australia’s biosecurity system – a world first
Biosecurity experts from the University of Melbourne have successfully valued Australia’s world-leading biosecurity system at $314 billion dollars, reflecting a 30 to one return on investment.
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Sugar-coated viral proteins hijack and hitch a ride out of cells
Researchers from the Universities of Melbourne, York, Warwick and Oxford have shed light on how encapsulated viruses like hepatitis B, dengue and SARS-CoV-2 hijack the protein manufacturing and distribution pathways in the cell – they have also identified a potential broad spectrum anti-viral drug target to stop them in their tracks.
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Dark matter research boosted by Australian Research Council grant
Australia’s search for dark matter has been boosted by funding for the research of a University of Melbourne physicist, Dr Peter Cox.
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Tapping the silk secrets of Australia’s basket-web spider
An international collaboration has provided the first insights into a new type of silk produced by the very unusual Australian basket-web spider, which uses it to build a lobster pot web that protects its eggs and trap prey.
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New theory on the origin of Dark Matter
A recent study from the University of Melbourne proposes a new theory for the origin of dark matter, helping experimentalists in Australia and abroad in the search for the mysterious new matter.
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NASA’s James Webb Telescopes will reveal hidden galaxies
Two new studies from the University of Melbourne will help the largest, most powerful and complex space telescope ever built to uncover galaxies never before seen by humanity.
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Solar panel efficiency could mean consumer savings of 20 per cent
Researchers at the University of Melbourne will use new materials to try to tap more efficiency from solar panels.