News: Integrative Biology

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Research

Female Butterflies See UV Light Thanks to a Gene Hiding in an Unusual Place

In some species, female and male butterflies apparently perceive colors differently.

A butterfly with black and white striped wings

Research

Tropical Trees Use Social Distancing to Maintain Biodiversity

Researchers discovered that adult trees in a Panamanian forest are three times as distant from trees of their species as would be predicted.

An aerial shot of a forest shows species of trees clustered together near a river

Research

Some Frogs Use Toxins to Deter Predators, but Evolution Doesn’t Supply Free Lunch

Poison frogs are able to withstand a toxin which they use to deter predators, but not without a cost.

Anthony’s poison frog (Epipedobates anthonyi). CREDIT: David Cannatella

Research

Genes That Shape Bones Identified, Offering Clues About Our Past and Future

An application of AI to medical imaging datasets has revealed genetics of the skeletal form for the first time.

Image of human skeleton imposed over DNA double helix

Research

Relationships Between Temperature and Animals’ Sizes Has Been Clarified

The new research offers important insights about how animals, particularly birds, may adapt to the rapid rise in temperatures driven by global climate change

Imaging showing bird species and where they fall on the temperature gradient

Announcements

UT Austin Ranks among Top U.S. Universities in Nature Index

Among U.S. universities, UT ranks 17th in natural sciences, 8th in physical sciences and 7th in chemistry.

UT is spelled in flowers south of the main mall with the UT Tower in the distance

Research

‘We’re All Asgardians’: New Clues about the Origin of Complex Life

All complex life, a.k.a. eukaryotes, trace their roots to a common Asgard archaean ancestor.

An evolutionary tree shows how eukaryotes are related to Asgard archaea

Research

Vulnerable Neighborhoods Bore Brunt of Pandemic Well into its Second Year

A study in PLOS Computational Biology from University of Texas at Austin epidemiologists examined COVID infection and hospitalization rates by zip code.

A map of Travis County shows different Zip codes in different colors against a grid. Lines intersect higher and lower income areas.

UT News

Integrative Biology Professor Studies Critical Link between Plants and Pollinators

University of Texas at Austin integrative biology professor Shalene Jha studies critical link in the web of life: plants and pollinators.

A woman stands opens a drawer of preserved insects labeled "Texas Native Bees" while standing in front of a poster about polllinators

Research

A New Way of Looking at the Differences Between the Sexes

Researchers set out to explain the variation in how the same genes are expressed in men and women.

Illustration of a DNA helix in different colors