Biological Sciences Research
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Study reveals role giant ground sloths played in the environment, potentially aiding in ecological restoration today
A new study led by Aditya Kurre, BA’22, and Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Guggenheim Fellow Larisa DeSantis has revealed the specific diet of two species of giant ground sloth, uncovering the vital roles they played in their environments. Their findings could help scientists restore ecosystems that once thrived thanks to these massive mammals. Read MoreNov 20, 2025
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Vanderbilt researchers’ work on cover of Science
Through a collaboration between US and Kenyan researchers and Turkana communities of northern Kenya, scientists have uncovered key genetic adaptations underlying survival in hot and dry environments, revealing how natural selection has enabled this pastoralist population to thrive in a challenging landscape. This research is featured on the cover of the Sept. 18, 2025 issue of Science. Read MoreOct 9, 2025
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Researchers discover the evolution of seasonal anticipation in cyanobacteria
New research led by recent Vanderbilt Ph.D. alumna Maria Luísa Jabbur from the Johnson Lab and BBSRC Discovery Fellow at the John Innes Centre, in the UK has uncovered that even cyanobacteria—tiny organisms with a generation time of just five to six hours—can sense and respond to changes in light availability, or photoperiod, to gear up for winter. Read MoreSep 12, 2024