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Since antiquity, humans have been fascinated by birds’ intercontinental migratory journeys. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that two areas in their genome decide whether a willow warbler flies across the Iberian Peninsula to western Africa, or across the Balkans to eastern and southern Africa. Researchers have long known that the behaviour that causes songbirds to migrate in a spe

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/genes-decide-willow-warblers-migration-routes - 2025-11-01

The size of dragonflies and damselflies varies around the globe. These insects are generally larger in temperate areas than in the tropics. According to a new study from Lund University in Sweden, this is caused by a combination of temperatures and the prevalence of predators. In a large global comparative study of this ancient order of insects, researchers have studied how body size varies geogra

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/size-insects-are-shaped-temperature-and-predators - 2025-11-01

There is newfound evidence of how bees' pesticide exposure depends on their interaction with the environment. According to scientists from Lund University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, more agricultural land surrounding the bees increases their pesticide-related risk, but only for the solitary bee and bumble bee, species that forage over smaller areas than the honey bee. The

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/bees-pesticide-risk-species-and-landscape-dependent - 2025-11-01

Exercising too much and not getting enough rest is bad for your health. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the same is true for migratory birds. They need to rest not only to renew their energy levels but also in order to boost their immune system. After a period of physical exertion, vertebrates, including humans, usually need a period of recovery. Apart from the obvious – lowe

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/migratory-birds-take-breaks-boost-their-immune-system - 2025-11-01

Seeds and fat balls do more than just fill small birds’ stomachs. New research from Lund University in Sweden shows that feeding during the wintertime causes birds to be healthier, since they do not have to expend as much energy fighting infections. A small change in body temperature can be fatal for humans. Small birds, meanwhile, lower their body temperature at night by several degrees during th

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/bird-feeding-helps-small-birds-fight-infection - 2025-11-01

By studying green algae in Swedish lakes, a research team, led by Lund University in Sweden, has succeeded in identifying which environmental conditions promote multicellularity. The results give us new clues to the amazing paths of evolution. The evolution of multicellular life has played a pivotal role in shaping biological diversity. However, we have up until now known surprisingly little about

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/algae-swedish-lakes-provide-insights-how-complex-life-earth-developed - 2025-11-01

Small bats are bad at converting energy into muscle power. Surprisingly, a new study led by Lund University reveals that this ability increases the faster they fly. The researchers have studied the efficiency of migratory bats – a species that weighs about eight grams and is found in almost all of Europe. Efficiency, in this case, is the ability to convert supplied energy into something we need. F

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/bats-ability-convert-energy-muscle-power-affected-flight-speed - 2025-11-01

A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the ability of microorganisms to adapt to climate warming will slow down global warming by storing carbon in soil. In the study, researchers collected soil samples from across Europe in a wide range of temperatures, from minus 3.1 to 18.3 degrees Celsius. The samples revealed that microorganisms in soils – such as bacteria and fungi – are stron

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/microorganisms-climate-adaptation-can-slow-down-global-warming - 2025-11-01

Insects heavily rely on bacteria for essential nutrients that are lacking in their diet. This has allowed insects to access a wide variety of food, leading to remarkable species diversification in some cases, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden. Insects are crucial for biodiversity and among the most successful species on the planet. However, until now, it has been unclear how

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/bacteria-are-vital-diversity-and-survival-insects - 2025-11-01

Great tits in urban environments have lower levels of stress hormone than those living in woodland habitats. This according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden. Certain animals are able to adjust well to environments that have been created or altered by human activity. We live in an age in which urbanisation is proceeding at an ever-faster rate, something that also affects fauna. The gre

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/urban-great-tits-less-stressed-their-countryside-cousins - 2025-11-01

A new study conducted by researchers in Europe shows that urban great tits have paler plumage than their countryside counterparts. Since the yellow pigment of the breast feathers of great tits comes from the food they eat, the paler yellow plumage of urban birds indicates that the urban environment affects the entire food chain. As urban areas expand, animals increasingly find themselves living in

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/urban-great-tits-have-paler-plumage-their-forest-living-relatives - 2025-11-01

An international group of researchers has been studying a group of microorganisms called Asgard archaea for several years. According to the research, these unique organisms are the origin of all complex life forms that we see around us today. The first life forms that evolved on Earth were called prokaryotes – a group of single-celled organisms that include bacteria. However, between two and three

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/were-all-asgardians-mysterious-microorganisms-unveiled-key-origin-complex-life - 2025-11-01

Why are certain people more severely affected than others by invasive streptococcal infections? According to a new study from Lund University in Sweden, the answer lies in our genome. Carriers of a certain variant of the STING gene are at greater risk, particularly if they encounter the bacterial strains that have increased in the western world since the 1980s. The findings, published in Nature Co

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/why-killer-bacteria-affect-some-people-more-severely - 2025-11-01

The biology researchers from Lund, Milda Pucetaite and Colin Olito, have been awarded starting grants from the European Research Council, ERC. The research projects aim to advance methods in microbiological ecology and map the development of sex chromosomes. Milda Pucetaite, researcher in microbiological ecology, on the project “Tracing single-cell scale chemical signaling between interacting soil

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/two-biology-researchers-receive-generous-starting-grants-european-research-council - 2025-11-01

When humans are ill, we tend to be less active. This also applies to wild animals, but so far, it has not been known how long the reduced activity lasts or which activities are affected the most. New research from Lund University in Sweden shows that birds' activity decreases for up to three weeks when they become ill - something that could mean the difference between life and death. The researche

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/disease-affects-blackbirds-more-previously-thought - 2025-11-01

One result of climate change is that spring is arriving earlier. However, migratory birds are not keeping up with these developments and arrive too late for the peak in food availability when it is time for breeding. By getting the birds to fly a little further north, researchers in Lund, Sweden, and the Netherlands have observed that these birds can give their chicks a better start in life. Globa

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/migratory-birds-can-be-taught-adjust-climate-change - 2025-11-01

Using micro-engineered soil models, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have investigated the effect of tiny polystyrene particles on bacteria and fungi. While these nanoplastics reduced both bacterial and fungal growth, the fungus actually managed to "clean up" their surroundings, thereby easing the effect of the plastics. “Plastic waste is a huge global problem. Whether carelessly discarded

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/vacuum-cleaner-effect-fungi-can-hold-nanoplastics-bay - 2025-11-01

For over 20 years, a research team at Lund University in Sweden has studied the common bluetail damselfly. Females occur in three different colour forms – one with a male-like appearance, something that protects them from mating harassment. In a new study, an international research team found that this genetic colour variation that is shared between several species arose through changes in a speci

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/scientists-have-solved-damselfly-colour-mystery - 2025-11-01

A new study from Lund confirms that pesticides commonly used in farmland significantly harm bumblebees. Data from 106 sites across 8 European countries show that despite tightened pesticide regulations, more needs to be done. Despite claims of the world's most rigorous risk assessment process, the use of approved pesticides in European agricultural landscapes still negatively affects non-target or

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/commonly-used-pesticides-are-still-harming-bees - 2025-11-01

It is now possible to test chemicals and makeup without using products isolated from animals. Researchers from Lund have developed a completely animal-free preparation for cell culture, a medium that can be used to grow human cells, including for cancer research. They believe this is a much sought-after breakthrough, as it solves an ethical dilemma, leads to higher scientific accuracy and thus sav

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/she-has-developed-animal-free-preparation-cell-culture-and-giving-away-recipe - 2025-11-01