News & Press Releases

"Major evolutionary study rewrites bird ‘tree of life’ "
The flamingo looks like it should be closely related to the stork or crane, but its closest relative may actually be the diminutive, modest grebe. (read more here).

"Holling wins environment prize"
The Volvo Environment Foundation has awarded its annual environment prize to Buzz (C.S.) Holling, an emeritus eminent professor of Zoology at UF. This $215,000 prize, given to "individuals who explore the way to an equitable and sustainable world", cites Holling as "one of ecology's great integrative thinkers for his pioneering lifetime work on ecosystem dynamics, transformation and resilience, and adaptive management" (read more here).

Zoology grad students received 3 NSF graduate fellowships and 3 honorable mentions this year. (read more here).

"First global malaria map in decades shows reduced risk"
About 35 percent of the world's population is at risk of contracting deadly malaria, but many people are at a lower risk than previously thought, raising hope that the disease could be seriously reduced or eliminated in parts of the world. (read more here).

"Humans inhabited New World’s doorstep for 20,000 years"
The human journey from Asia to the New World was interrupted by a 20,000-year layover in Beringia, a once-habitable region that today lies submerged under the icy waters of the Bering Strait. (read more here).

"Zoologists: Lusty voles, mindless of danger, mate like rabbits"
At least that’s how University of Florida researchers interpret the results of new research on the mating habits and nervous systems of prairie voles. (read more here).

"Scientists: Environmental protection, development not always at odds"
Mangroves in coastal Thailand are the main protection against deadly flooding from tsunamis, so it might seem wise to protect them at all costs. (read more here).

"Africa’s biggest mammals key to ant-plant teamwork"
Throughout the tropics, ants and Acacia trees live together in intricate interdependent relationships that have long fascinated scientists. (read more here).

"“Superbug” infections more than doubled in hospitals, study finds"
Hospitalizations related to a potentially deadly, antibiotic-resistant “superbug” more than doubled between 1999 and 2005, soaring from 127,000 to nearly 280,000, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Florida researcher. (read more here).

"Simple reason helps males evolve more quickly"
The observation that males evolve more quickly than females has been around since 19th century biologist Charles Darwin noted the majesty of a peacock’s tail feather in comparison with the plainness of the peahen’s. (read more here).

"Researchers: No faking it, crocodile tears are real"
When someone feigns sadness they “cry crocodile tears,” a phrase that comes from an old myth that the animals cry while eating. (read more here).

"Biologists close in on mystery of sea turtles’ ‘lost years’ "
Biologists have found a major clue in a 50-year-old mystery about what happens to green sea turtles after they crawl out of their sandy nests and vanish into the surf, only to reappear several years later relatively close to shore.(read more here).

"Conquest of land began in shark genome"
When the first four-legged animals sprouted fingers and toes, they took an ancient genetic recipe and simply extended the cooking time, say University of Florida scientists writing in Wednesday’s issue of the journal PLoS ONE. (read more here).

"Human pubic lice acquired from gorillas gives evolutionary clues"
Humans acquired pubic lice from gorillas several million years ago, but this seemingly seedy connection does not mean that monkey business went on with the great apes, a new University of Florida study finds. (read more here).

"UF study first to document evidence of ‘mafia’ behavior in cowbirds"
The Sopranos” have some competition — brown-headed cowbirds. Sneaky, perhaps, but not Scarface.
(read more here) .

For news older than Mar, 2007 please click here: Archived News