For athletes hoping to gain an advantage, new research suggests wearing red may not be the boost it once was. In 2005, research led by Professors Russell Hill and Robert Barton in our Department of Anthropology found that wearing red boosted the chances of success in some sports. However, two decades later, a new study involving the same researchers finds that wearing red may no longer provide the sporting advantage it once did.

A new report from our top-rated Anthropology department has revealed the shocking conditions endured by mothers and babies in dispersal asylum accommodation across the UK.

Modern humans, Neanderthals, and other recent relatives on our human family tree evolved bigger brains much more rapidly than earlier species, a new study of human brain evolution has found.

Our MammalWeb project has won a national biodiversity award for its work to gather information on the distribution, abundance, habits and behaviours of UK and European wild mammals.

Our researchers have studied wild monkeys problem-solving for food to better understand how social dynamics can influence behaviour and learning. 

Since the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009, several former international cricketers, politicians and NGOs have made claims that cricket is an important tool for reconciliation. On International Day of Peace, Dr Ben Hildred, from our Department of Anthropology, explains how his research considers the role of cricket in development and peace efforts across the country.

Professor Jane Macnaughton from our Institute for Medical Humanities and Department of Anthropology has been chosen as the next Chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics Governing Board.

Scientists have long believed that big animals will tend to have big brains, but a new study involving Professor Robert Barton, from our Department of Anthropology, has found that may not be the case.

We’ve helped clarify centuries of controversy surrounding brain size evolution - and resolved some puzzling complexities in the relationship between brain size and body mass.

Innovator and Founder of Optim Energy, Jeremiah Thoronka has been featured in Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 list for his success and impact in the Climate Change and Sustainability (Social Impact) sector.

Dr Jack Jenkins and Professor Hannah Brown from our Department of Anthropology look at solutions to the serious health hazards posed by Sierra Leone’s bushmeat markets, and how lessons learned can inform strategies for reducing zoonotic disease risks in similar settings around the world.

Social anthropologist Professor Simone Abram has been announced as the new Durham University Ørsted Chair of Green Energy Systems and Director of Durham Energy Institute (DEI). She is the first social scientist to lead the DEI.