Researchers from the University of Padua in Italy found a juniper at Utsjoki in Finnish Lapland, which they analysed to be 1,647 years old by examining the annual rings.
A doctoral study from the University of Turku has unveiled how colour morphs in tawny owls (Strix aluco) adapt to shifting environmental conditions. MSc Charlotte Perrault explores how grey and brown tawny owl morphs navigate the challenges posed by changing snow cover and temperature variations in northern Europe.
According to a new study, the number of species in the wildlife trade may exceed previous estimates, underscoring the urgent need for more comprehensive monitoring systems and regulation to improve the sustainability of the trade.
A recently published article studies the mutually beneficial ecological relationships and evolutionary adaptations of tarantulas. The study reveals that the infamous spiders are actually often on friendly terms with amphibians, reptiles, and even army ants, which are known to feed on spiders. The researchers suggest that the dense hair covering tarantulas may have in fact evolved as a defence mechanism against these predatory ants.
The Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve in Peru has often been described as the most biodiverse rainforest in the world. For example, in recent decades, scientist have discovered several new bird species from the region. The researchers of the University of Turku in Finland have studied the insect biodiversity in Allpahuayo-Mishana for over twenty years. In their latest study, the scientist described a new wasp genus, Capitojoppa, to science.
The Persian Gold Tarantula (Chaetopelma persianum) is a newly described species recently discovered in northwestern Iran. In fact, the “woolly, golden hairs” the scientists observed and examined on a single specimen, were one of the features so unique that it was not necessary for additional individuals to be collected and physically studied. It was clear enough that it was a species previously unknown to the scientific community.
A recent analysis of what drives different scientific and societal interest in global species suggests we are missing knowledge on more than half of the world’s biodiversity.
The University of Oxford and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced a new global initiative during the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal on 8 December 2022. The University of Turku is one of the founding universities of the Alliance.
Researchers at the Universities of Turku and Oulu, Finland, found out how Roundup, a herbicide containing glyphosate, affects the learning and memory of bumblebees. Already a small dose affected their ability to learn and memorise connections between colours and taste. The weakened fine colour vision can severely impair bumblebees’ foraging and nesting success.
The University of Turku, together with the Universities of Eastern Finland, Oulu, Helsinki and Jyväskylä and Åbo Akademi University are collaborating in biodiversity education, and the course catalogue for this academic year has been published. Through the Biodiversity education network, students at the University of Turku have a possibility to take biodiversity-related courses from other universities.