News
Feeling a spark: flowers release their perfume in response to electricity of a bee's touch
21 September 2021
New research has found that the electrical charge created by visiting bumblebees stimulates some flowers to release more of their sweet-smelling scent. This is the first time a plant has been shown to use the presence of pollinators as a cue to emit more of its attractive perfume - increasing its chances of being visited.
-
Feeling a spark: flowers release their perfume in response to electricity of a bee's touch
21 September 2021
New research has found that the electrical charge created by visiting bumblebees stimulates some flowers to release more of their sweet-smelling scent. This is the first time a plant has been shown to use the presence of pollinators as a cue to emit more of its attractive perfume - increasing its chances of being visited.
-
Moth wingtips an ‘acoustic decoy’ to thwart bat attack, scientists find
10 September 2021
Wingtips of certain species of silkmoth are structured to reflect sound and throw off attackers, according to a new study.
-
Plants evolved ability to actively control water-loss earlier than previously thought
27 August 2021
New research has shed light on when plants first evolved the ability to respond to changing humidity in the air around them, and was probably a feature of a common ancestor of both flowering plants and ferns.
- Giraffes are as socially complex as elephants, study finds 3 August 2021 Scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered evidence that giraffes are a highly socially complex species.
-
Newly-hatched pterosaurs may have been able to fly
26 July 2021
Newly-hatched pterosaurs may have been able to fly but their flying abilities may have been different from adult pterosaurs, according to a new study.
-
Tropical fly study shows that a mother’s age and diet influences the health of her offspring
20 July 2021
The female tsetse fly, which gives birth to adult-sized live young, produce weaker offspring as they get older, and when they feed on poor quality blood.
-
University of Bristol’s 900 laboratories receive green status in world first
12 July 2021
The University of Bristol has become the first university in the world to achieve institutional Green Labs Certification.
-
Sharp size reduction in dinosaurs that changed diet to termites
7 July 2021
Dinosaurs were generally huge, but a new study of the unusual alvarezsaurs show that they reduced in size about 100 million years ago when they became specialised ant-eaters.
-
Come and discover the fascinating relationship between pollinating insects and flowers
2 July 2021
How do bees visualise and interact with flowers? A summer art and science exhibition that uses a blend of the most innovative interactive technology, including augmented reality (AR), inspiration from 17th century Dutch flower paintings, and the latest scientific research on the symbiotic relationship of plants and insects, opens at the University of Bristol's Botanic Garden next week [Tuesday 6 July].
-
Scientists reveal how plants become good neighbours in times of stress
30 June 2021
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the John Innes Centre have discovered how plants manage to live alongside each other in places that are dark and shady.