What can hedgehogs hear? 🦔
Researchers studied the ear anatomy of European hedgehogs using micro-CT scans, finding tiny middle ear bones and a cochlea perfectly shaped for detecting high-frequency sound.
Research led by @drhedgehog.bsky.social 👉 bit.ly/4lnT1iN
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Research with @davididiaquez.bsky.social @iremsepil.bsky.social @sheldonbirds.bsky.social @egioxford.bsky.social
Climate extremes are on the rise, and early life is extra vulnerable 🌧️
New research led by @devisatarkar.bsky.social reveals that cold snaps and heavy rain can stunt growth and survival prospects in young great tits 👇
NEW: Researchers from Oxford's @wildcru.bsky.social have found that ultrasound repellers could help reduce hedgehog road deaths 🦔
The proposal is based on findings which demonstrate for the first time that hedgehogs can hear high-frequency ultrasound.
More info ⬇️
Poster for a seminar - Talk abstract: Vagrant birds were historically neglected in migration research due to their rarity and the limitations of early tracking methods. Yet, growing research shows that vagrancy can help us better understand several aspects of bird migration and its consequences. In this talk, I will show how abnormal migratory movements can inform key processes in bird migration, including the colonization of new territories, the emergence of novel migration routes, and the navigation systems of migratory birds.
This week's seminar will be given by @pauldufour80.bsky.social of @vogelwarte.bsky.social on how we can understand bird migration through the study of abnormal movements such as vagrancy. Lecture held in @biology.ox.ac.uk at 3.30 on Fri 13 March - all welcome; online joining instructions ⬇️
Our Newsletter is live!
➡️ Updates from #IPBES12, #COP30 & the UK's first #NationalEmergencyBriefing
➡️ Live-mural painting by Dr Cécile Girardin & AGRIIH's Showcase
➡️ New research, including the 1st systematic review of NbS for #ClimateAdaptation in SIDS by Zoe Brown
👉🔗 mailchi.mp/37700b439b54...
Photo of a woman with the name Singye Wangmo. Researcher details: PHD RESEARCHER MAIN SPECIES: Tigers and leopards KEY REGION: Bhutan RESEARCH FOCUS: Population ecology; connectivity modelling; species–habitat relationships; social dimensions of coexistence with large carnivores Passionate about placing science, communities, and empathy at the heart of conservation solutions FUN FACT: Singye led the Royal of Bhutan’s second national tiger survey
Meet PhD researcher Singye Wangmo 🐯
Singye’s work explores large carnivore conservation in Bhutan, focusing on tigers and leopards to develop policy-relevant strategies that guide biodiversity conservation, development planning, and human–wildlife coexistence.
👉 wildcru.org/members/sing...
What are #NaturebasedSolutions - and how can they help address climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity and social inequality?
Explore the science, policy, governance and financing of NbS on our upcoming course
Find out more & apply:
www.naturebasedsolutionsinitiative.org/nature-based...
Hawk Study Shows Potential Lessons of Bird Flight @ucdavisengineering.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk @biology.ox.ac.uk www.ucdavis.edu/news/hawk-st...
Three people smiling and talking outside a modern building. Text reads: Oxford Biology Mentorship Programme. To support strong senior independent research fellowship applications. Apply by 25 March.
The application deadline for our Fellowship Mentorship Programme is fast approaching – make sure to get yours in by 25 March.
If you’re looking to make the move to an independent fellowship, an academic mentor can provide valuable support and advice ⬇️
https://bit.ly/BioIRF
It's #WorldWildlifeDay, which means it's the perfect time to check out this recent talk from our Fellow Dr Aline Soterroni on net zero & nature! youtu.be/qs3xDQjVvME?... @naturebasedsols.bsky.social @biology.ox.ac.uk
It's World Wildlife Day, so the perfect moment to pencil a talk into your calendars.
9 March, at @morethanadodo.bsky.social we will host @danchallender.bsky.social from @biology.ox.ac.uk, talking about the elusive, endangered and no doubt enchanting pangolins.
🧪🦊
This week's EGI seminar will be given by Prof Hanna Kokko @kokkonut.bsky.social from Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz @unimainz.bsky.social on the role of time in avian trade-offs. All welcome in person in LT1 in LaMB @biology.ox.ac.uk 3.30pm on 6 March. Also live-streamed: details available ⬇️
🌱 New research shows how to make sure the nature credits you buy are real, not just greenwashing. Dive into science-based tips for stronger biodiversity & climate impact from Nature Recovery experts. Read more👇
@ecioxford.bsky.social @biology.ox.ac.uk @natduffus.bsky.social @joewbull.bsky.social
Researchers have identified the master regulator in plants that balances root and shoot growth when nutrients are limited 🌱
In field trials, rice plants with an improved version of the gene had yield increases of up to 24% 👇
Applications for our Diploma in Wildlife Conservation are closing soon.
The course will run from October 2026 to May 2027. We have received applications from around the world, but would especially like to encourage those from the Middle East and China to express interest.
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How to study adaptation in organisms that we can’t see, living in environments that we can’t visit? Some thoughts in our perspective piece out today in @pnas.org www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... @biology.ox.ac.uk @stuwest.bsky.social
This week's EGI seminar will be give by @ruthedunn.bsky.social from @lancasteruni.bsky.social on Seabird-driven energy and nutrient flows, in person in @biology.ox.ac.uk on Friday 27 Feb at 3.30. All welcome! The seminar will also be live-streamed - joining details available below ⬇️
Green Economy and Nature Positive Finance, a new executive education course from Oxford Biology. 16-20 March in Oxford.
Why are “nature positive” approaches critical to resilient economies and financial markets?
Find out more on our exciting new executive education course, Green Economy and Nature Positive Finance, led by @joewbull.bsky.social. Open for booking 👇
https://bit.ly/greeneconomycourse
A mental health treatment that includes playing Tetris dramatically reduces traumatic flashbacks
New research with @wellcometrust.bsky.social and others offers huge potential for an easily accessible digital treatment that could transform how we prevent and treat PTSD worldwide 👇
bit.ly/3ZFJ9qF
An illustration of how fish navigate in different visibility conditions. In high visibility, fish may rely on beaconing: when the target (eg food) is within visual range, they could swim directly towards it. In low visibility, the target is no longer visible from the starting point. Direct movement based only on memory of its location is risky, so they may use a landmark. Original illustration by Alicia Hayden.
To understand how fish use vision to navigate, we must first understand what they see.
New review from Cait Newport and @burt15theresa.bsky.social in @jexpbiol.bsky.social 👇
doi.org/10.1242/jeb....
This week's EGI seminar will be given by Dr Alex Bond @thelabandfield.bsky.social of @nhm-london.bsky.social on his long-term work quantifying effects of plastic pollution on seabirds. Seminar in @biology.ox.ac.uk at 3.30 on Friday - all welcome & streamed live: details below ⬇️
Decline in body mass in adult (left) and nestling great tits. In the nestling plot, the purple line represents all nestling and the green line those that recruited to the population as breeders. Their different slope suggest an increase in the strength of selection on nestling mass something confirmed in the MS by analysing the temporal trends in selection differentials (see link for further information)
We have published a new pre-print showing a decline in great tit adult and nestling mass of around 1 gram in 47 y. [rate of approx. -0.040 Hadanes] With @ellafcole.bsky.social, @devisatarkar.bsky.social, Sam. Crofts, @mcmahok.bsky.social & @sheldonbirds.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Does haplodiploidy - a method of sex determination seen in bees and ants among other animals - promote eusociality?
New research from @rbonifacii.bsky.social and @stuwest.bsky.social enters evidence into this long debate that - despite popular belief - this is not the case 👇
bit.ly/4qEoEWm
🎙️ Where do baby penguins come from?
We're joined by #penguinologists Dr Ignacio Juarez Martinez & Dr Fiona Suttle to learn all about the breeding habits of #penguins, for our #Valentines special 🐧💕
🎧 pod.fo/e/38d8ea
@biology.ox.ac.uk @mplsoxford.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk
Our Postgraduate Diploma in Wildlife Conservation is still open for applications.
Find out more about the course 👉https://wildcru.org/study/diploma/
Application deadline: Tuesday 3rd March 2026
Please first share your CV with us at wildcru.diploma@biology.ox.ac.uk
@biology.ox.ac.uk
The answer to tomorrow’s conservation challenges may lie in the past. Long-term ecological records from Wytham Woods show why decades of data are vital for understanding biodiversity change, guiding policy, & improving nature recovery outcomes. Short-term data can mislead—history matters. Watch now
Book now to secure your place on our new Exec Ed Course - Green Economy & Nature-Positive Finance.
Explore why “nature positive” approaches are critical to resilient economies and financial markets.
Book now👉 bit.ly/greeneconomy...
16-20 March, Life and Mind Building
This week's seminar will be given by Dr Paul Acker from NTNU, Norway on "Processes of life-history adaptation to spatio-seasonal environmental changes" - seminar at 3.30 on Friday in Life & Mind Building @biology.ox.ac.uk All welcome & will also be streamed - see details below
Three people, two women and a man, smile and converse outside a modern building. Text reads: Oxford Biology Mentorship Programme. To support strong senior independent research fellowship applications. Apply by 25 March.
Applications for our Fellowship Mentorship Programme are open!
The programme supports promising early career researchers to submit fellowship applications and move towards research independence. Find out more ⬇️
https://bit.ly/BioIRF
