A major new book on the ecology and management of one of the most destructive invasive weeds in Africa, is now available online.

The book, titled The Ecology and Management of Invasive Prosopis Trees in Eastern Africa, is the outcome of a large, decade-long collaborative research project, involving   six universities and eight institutes from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States of America (USA).

Human ancestors like Australopithecus – which lived around 3.5 million years ago in southern Africa – ate very little to no meat, according to new research published in the scientific journal Science. This conclusion comes from an analysis of nitrogen isotope isotopes in the fossilized tooth enamel of seven Australopithecus individuals. The data revealed that these early hominins primarily relied on plant-based diets, with little to no evidence of meat consumption.

A landmark new report was launched today by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The Assessment Report on the Interlinkages Among Biodiversity, Water, Food and Health – known as the Nexus Report - offers decision-makers around the world the most ambitious scientific assessment ever undertaken of the complex interconnections between biodiversity, water, food, health and climate change and explores more than 60 specific response options to maximize co-benefits across the five ‘nexus elements’ -- a new science in the making.

Physicists from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have developed an innovative computing system using laser beams and everyday display technology, marking a significant leap forward in the quest for more powerful quantum computing solutions.

After major refurbishments, the old Johannesburg Planetarium has been transformed into the state-of-the-art Wits Anglo American Digital Dome.

In a remarkable journey back to the Jurassic Era, scientists have used cutting-edge technology to uncover secrets about Orthosuchus stormbergi, a small, early ancestor of today’s crocodiles. Unlike its modern relatives, which are renowned for their massive size and aquatic prowess, this tiny croc offers unique insights into the evolution of its lineage. Standing out for its slow growth and diminutive adult size, Orthosuchus paints a fascinating picture of ancient ecosystems and crocodilian history.

Scientists from South Africa and Brazil have provided empirical evidence that pollen grains of rival plants may compete with one another for space on pollinators, thus influencing whose pollen is going to make it to the next flower – or not.

In an article published in The American Naturalist this week, they argue that because plants can manipulate where and how much pollen is placed on the bodies of pollinators, plants may have developed strategies that are similar to sperm manipulation in animals.