Earth & Life Sciences Archives | OUPblog

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The art of the bee

By Robert Page
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Brighter than a trillion suns: an intense X-rated drama

By Nicholas Mee
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Scientific writing as a research skill

By Stuart West and Lindsay Turnbull
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Science & Medicine /
Earth & Life Sciences

Genomic insights into the past and future of the black rhinoceros

By Casey McGrath

The iconic African black rhinoceros faces an uncertain future after intense poaching caused a 98% decline in wild populations from 1960 to 1995. The species’ survival within its fragmented natural habitat now relies on dedicated conservation efforts. A study published in Molecular Biology and Evolution reshapes our understanding of the evolutionary and natural history of the black rhinoceros, opening a window into the species’ genetic past while urging us to forge a path toward its conservation.

Science in the time of war: voices from Ukraine

By Taras K. Oleksyk

On 23 February 2022, I drove back to Michigan after giving a talk at the University of Kentucky on genome diversity in Ukraine. My niece Zlata Bilanin, a recent college graduate from Ukraine, was with me. She was calling her friends in Kyiv, worried. A single question was on everyone’s mind: will there be a […]

Open Access Week 2023 at Oxford University Press

Supporting researchers at every career stage

By Sarah Trostle

Discover how OUP supports researchers at every career stage—including Early Career Researchers—through our journals publishing.

Title cover of "Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know®, Third Edition" by Robert Paarlberg, published by Oxford University Press

Rising seas, eroding beaches, and fewer fish in Africa

By Robert Paarlberg

Robert Paarlberg describes the impact of human-induced climate change and local economic and political forces on fishing communities in Code d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria.

Photo of piglets suckling milk from sow as title cover of Animal Frontiers journal, published by Oxford University Press

The rise of dairy consumption [infographic]

By Sarah Reed

Explore milk consumption by humans and lactase tolerance with a look at the domestication of milk producing mammals over the past 10,000 years and milk consumption across different cultures leading to some adults no longer having the ability to digest lactose.

Molecular Biology and Evolution (MBE) published by Oxford University Press

Looking through the ice: cold-adapted vision in Antarctic icefish

By Casey McGrath

A recent study reveals the genetic mechanisms by which the visual systems of Antarctic icefishes have adapted to both the extreme cold and the unique lighting conditions under Antarctic sea ice.

Inside the shark nursery: the evolution of live birth in cartilaginous fish

By Casey McGrath

A new study reveals that egg yolk proteins may have been co-opted to provide maternal nutrition in live-bearing sharks and their relatives.

Animal Frontiers published by Oxford University Press

Societal roles for meat: what does science tell us?

By Sarah Reed

The blog post is based on an article published by Animal Frontiers which tackles meat consumption and whether it’s healthy or not, while also addressing societal and environmental elements as well. Explore these facets of the agriculture industry with an accompanying infographic.

"In Search of Ancient Tsunamis: A Researcher's Travels, Tools, and Techniques" by James Goff, published by Oxford University Press

Studying ancient tsunamis is all about glasses

By James Goff

If you go back a mere 40 years or so, not a long time really, then you pretty much arrive at the time when the modern study of ancient tsunamis began. Before then there had been some work, but it really kicked off with Brian Atwater and his work on the 1700 CE Cascadia earthquake […]

Animal Frontiers

How sustainable is sustainability?

By Sarah Reed

In a recent Animal Frontiers article, we look at the larger picture of sustainability and the conversation that needs to happen when thinking about just one facet of an industry.

Climate emergency: lessons from Classic Maya to contemporary China [podcast]

By Scott M. Moore and Kenneth E. Seligson

In episode 81 of The Oxford Comment, we discussed the environmental resilience of the Maya with scholar Kenneth E. Seligson and contemporary China and sustainability with scholar Scott M. Moore.

Five books to celebrate British Science Week 2023

By OUP Science

To celebrate British Science Week, join in the conversation and keep abreast of the latest in science by delving into our reading list. It contains five of our latest books on plant forensics, the magic of mathematics, women in science, and more.

The Icy Planet: Saving Earth's Refrigerator by Colin Summerhayes, published by Oxford University Press

Saving Earth’s Refrigerator: what does global warming mean for our planet’s future?

By Colin Summerhayes

Colin Summeryhayes explains how global warming is affecting the polar regions and what the loss of “Earth’s Refrigerator” means for our future.

Genome Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press

The social code: deciphering the genetic basis of hymenopteran social behavior

By Casey McGrath

The authors of a recent study published in Genome Biology and Evolution set out to uncover early genetic changes in bees and wasps on the path to sociality.

Animal Frontiers

You are what you eat. Or is your immune system what you eat? [infographic]

By Sarah Reed

From a recent Animal Frontiers article, we look at the interactions between the immune system and metabolism and how what you eat changes your immune response.

Genome Biology and Evolution (GBE)

Inside the genome of the world’s weirdest octopus

By Casey McGrath

The greater argonaut, Argonauta argo, has a reputation for being the world’s weirdest octopus and indeed may be one of the most unusual and mysterious creatures to roam the ocean.