Childbirth in humans is much more complex and painful than in great apes. It was long believed that this was a result of humans- larger brains and the narrow dimensions of the mother's pelvis. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now used 3D simulations to show that childbirth was also a highly complex process in earlier hominin species that gave birth to relatively small-brained newborns - with important implications for their cognitive development.

A combination of high-dose vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and a simple home strength exercise program (SHEP) can cumulatively reduce the risk of cancer in healthy adults over the age of 70 by 61 percent, the international DO-HEALTH study led by the University of Zurich has shown. It is the first study to test the combined benefit of three affordable public health interventions for the prevention of invasive cancers. The results could influence the future of cancer prevention in older adults.

The University of Zurich (UZH), a renowned university in Switzerland, has joined the ranks of Universities Space Research Association (USRA). Elected by USRA's current university members, UZH was formally inaugurated into the Association on March 25, 2022, bringing the membership of the Association to a total of 115 universities.

To test if a single gene could affect an entire ecosystem, a research team of the University of Zurich conducted a lab experiment with a plant and its associated ecosystem of insects. They found that plants with a mutation at a specific gene foster ecosystems with more insect species. The discovery of such a -keystone gene- could change current biodiversity conservation strategies.

The University of Zurich celebrates its 189th anniversary virtually on Saturday, awarding honorary doctorates to ecumenist Dorothea Sattler, Polish human rights commissioner Hanna Machińska and gender medicine pioneer Vera Regitz-Zagrosek. Veterinarian Debbie Jaarsma, theoretical physicist Ruth Durrer, educational economist Eric Bettinger and forensic phonetician Peter French also received honorary degrees.

A research team at the University of Zurich has helped people affected by Long Covid identify the problems they most urgently want scientists to tackle, through a collaborative citizen science approach. The topics identified as most pressing include the development and clinical testing of effective therapies, appropriate healthcare structures, increased awareness as well as better data on children and adolescents affected by the disease.

A new special exhibition at the University of Zurich's Zoological and Paleontological Museum showcases sublime fossils found in the Alpstein massif in eastern Switzerland, taking visitors on a journey through time to the marine wildlife of the Cretaceous and Eocene more than 100 million years ago. The exhibition, conceived by the Natural History Museum in St.Gallen, is based on a book by UZH paleontologist Christian Klug and Peter Kürsteiner.

The reproductive success of male dolphins is not determined by strength or age, but via social bonds with other males. The better integrated males are in their social network, the more offspring they produce, a new study by an international team of researchers led by the University of Zurich has shown using long-term behavioral and genetic data.