30,000-year-old teeth shed new light on human evolution
The teeth of a 30,000-year-old child are shedding new light on the evolution of modern humans, thanks to research from the University of Bristol published this week in PNAS.
Research
From grasses to shrubs: how plants reinforce desertification
Research into how fragile dryland ecosystems degrade into deserts has revealed that the transition from grasslands to desert shrubs may be reinforced by the plants themselves. The study demonstrates for the first time that grass and shrub areas lose very different amounts of nutrients during rainfall events, which may be significant in how desert shrubs persist in these landscapes.
Mysteriously warm times in Antarctica
A new study of Antarctica’s climate history shows that in some brief warm periods between ice ages, temperatures were up to 6oC warmer than the present day. The findings, reported this week in the journal Nature, could help us understand more about rapid climate changes.
The maths of infectious diseases
An international workshop on the Mathematical Modelling of Epidemics will be hosted by the University of Bristol on the 15th and 16th September, bringing together world experts on using mathematical methods to model the dynamics of infectious diseases.
Over half of cot deaths occur whilst co-sleeping
A study by academics at the University of Bristol suggests more than half of sudden unexplained infant deaths occur while the infant is sharing a bed or a sofa with a parent (co-sleeping) and may be related to parents drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
New data illuminates Antarctic ice cap formation
New carbon dioxide data confirm that formation of the Antarctic ice-cap some 33.5 million years ago was due to declining carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
New eating device retrains dietary habits and helps children lose weight
A new computerised device that tracks portion size and how fast people eat is more successful in helping obese children and adolescents lose weight than standard treatments, according to research led by Bristol University.
Britain’s oldest dinosaur to be released
After 210 million years of being entombed in rock, the Bristol Dinosaur is about to be released, thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £295,000 awarded to the University of Bristol.
World’s largest study to date into computer-based financial trading reveals beneficial effects but warns of systemic risks
A new Government research project, undertaken by an international team of researchers including experts from the University of Bristol, into the advantages and risks of computer-based trading in financial markets has shown it to have beneficial effects but warned of the risks of greater instability.
Size zero is bad news for bones
New research from the Children of the 90s project suggests that teenage girls who are too thin may be putting their bones at risk.