Mozambique Nightjar

Secrets of animal camouflage: Video reveals how predator vision works

06 August 2014

How do animals see? It’s a question that vexes biologists and fascinates anyone who has watched animals go about their business: what does the world look like through their eyes? In a new video, BBSRC-funded scientists are attempting to answer some of these fundamental questions by studying  the success of bird and egg camouflage.

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P.676-1985 William Blake Infant Joy, Songs of Innocence (1789) (detail)

The greatest gift

23 April 2012

The first comprehensive study of egg-sharing between women undergoing fertility treatment reveals striking empathy on the part of donors and recipients – and may dispel concerns about programmes that offer ‘benefits-in-kind’ in return for donated eggs.

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Recently fertilised egg

Egg Cetera #1: The immortal egg

05 April 2012

In the first report of our Egg Cetera series on egg-related research, biologists Dr Harry Leitch and Professor Azim Surani describe how advances in understanding egg development could transform reproductive and regenerative medicine.

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Image shows a variety of cuckoo finches each adapted to mimic a different host species or colour morph

Biological arms races in birds

13 April 2011

New research reveals how biological arms races between cuckoos and host birds can escalate into a competition between the host evolving new, unique egg patterns (or ‘signatures’) and the parasite new forgeries.

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