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Wild rabbits are widely thought to have been first tamed in 600 A.D. by French monks, when they were prized as food as a 'meat substitute' during Lent. But, according to Oxford University research, that isn't true. Domestication, which is often defined as 'the process of taming an animal and keeping it as a pet or on a farm, and the cultivation of a plant for food', can be dated using historical and archaeological records.

Intensive, home-based and effective treatment of postnatal depression has been shown to be associated with positive child development. Postnatal depression is a common experience for women after the birth of a baby, affecting at least 1 in 10 mothers in the UK. For some mothers feeling low may last for a relatively short period of time, whereas others can experience symptoms for many months.

Humans can be 'vicariously optimistic' for those we care about, enabling us to view our own lives - and those of our friends and family - through 'rose-tinted glasses'. The research, which is the first to show that such an 'optimism bias' extends beyond the self, found that people readily changed their beliefs about a person they like when receiving good news but barely changed their opinions about them after receiving bad news.

Postnatal depression which persists beyond six months after birth and is severe, increases the risk of children exhibiting behavioural problems, achieving lower GCSE mathematics grades at 16 years and having depression at 18 years of age. Postnatal depression which is persistent (whether moderate or severe) increases mothers' risk of continuing to experience depressive symptoms beyond the postnatal year, with high levels found up until 11 years after childbirth.

Oxford University have collaborated with the Prison Reform Trust to create new resources, including films and briefings, to help criminal justice professionals improve their understanding of the impacts of maternal imprisonment. Image credit: Shutterstock Oxford University has collaborated with the Prison Reform Trust to create new resources, including films and briefings, to help criminal justice professionals improve their understanding of the impacts of maternal imprisonment.

Two bacterial colonies fighting on solid media using toxins. Upon detecting an incoming attack from the red strain, cells of the bottom strain pass this information on to others in the colony leading to a massive collective attack against the red strain. Green colour indicates toxin production. Image credit: Kevin Foster / Dr Despoina Mavridou Much like animals and to a degree humans, bacteria enjoy a good fight.

A new Oxford University collaboration suggests that blows to the head can cause lasting trauma - even in the absence of signs of concussion. This could mean that attempts to monitor and prevent concussions in sport, such as new designs for helmets, may be futile, since nothing can change the motion of head movement inflicted by a flying tackle.

Conflict in Ukraine has increased the risk of HIV outbreaks throughout the country as displaced HIV-infected people move from war-affected regions to areas with higher risk of transmission, according to analysis by scientists. Ukraine, which has the highest HIV prevalence in Europe, has been at war since 2014 following political unrest in the country.

Girls who start their periods before they turn 12 are at greater risk of developing heart disease and stroke in later life, according to a new study of nearly 300,000 women in the UK by The George Institute for Global Health at the University of Oxford. Women who give birth at a young age, experience miscarriage or stillbirth, or who go through the menopause early, are also more likely to develop cardiovascular disease when they get older, the study found.

Prostate cancer detection currently relies on the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening blood test, which has been proven to reduce deaths from the disease. However, PSA testing is a poor screening tool because it can also produce false positive results and encourages over-detection of non-aggressive, slow-growing tumors.

An international team of astronomers has revealed an 'astonishing' overabundance of massive stars in a neighbouring galaxy. The discovery, made in the gigantic star-forming region 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, has 'far-reaching' consequences for our understanding of how stars transformed the pristine Universe into the one we live in today.

New Oxford University research has revealed that as digital past-times have become intertwined with daily life, children have adapted their behaviours to include their devices. Much like adults, they are able to multi-task and do all the things that they would do anyway, such as, homework and playing outdoors with friends.

Scientists have discovered how the sun's influence on the remote planet Uranus changes its brightness in the sky. Changes in solar activity influence the colour and formation of clouds around the planet, researchers at Oxford and Reading universities found. The icy planet is second furthest from the sun in the solar system and takes 84 Earth years to complete a full orbit - one Uranian year.

Image shows modern Mars (left) dry and barren, compared with the same scene over 3.5 billion years ago covered in water (right). The rocks of the surface were slowly reacting with the water, sequestering it into the Martian mantle leading to the dry, inhospitable scene shown on the left. Image credit: Jon Wade When searching for life, scientists first look for an element key to sustaining it: fresh water.

Digital screen use is a staple of contemporary life for adults and children, whether they are browsing on laptops and smartphones, or watching TV. Paediatricians and scientists have long expressed concerns about the impact of overusing technology on people's wellbeing. However, new Oxford University research suggests that existing guidance managing children's digital media time may not be as beneficial as first thought.

New Oxford University research has revealed that bones long venerated as relics of the saint, do in fact date from the right historical period. One of the most revered Christian saints, St Nicholas' remains are held in the Basilica di San Nicola, Bari, Southern Puglia, since 1087, where they are buried in a crypt beneath a marble altar, with others preserved in the Chiesa di San Nicolo al Lido in Venice.

Scientists have found a direct link between physical contact and gut bacteria in red-bellied lemurs. Likely passed through 'huddling' behaviour and touch, the findings suggest implications for human health.

Researchers at Oxford University have discovered that peregrine falcons steer their attacks using the same control strategies as guided missiles. The findings, which overturn previous assumptions that peregrines' aerial hunting follows simple geometric rules, could be applied to the design of small, visually guided drones that can take down other 'rogue' drones in settings such as airports or prisons.

An international collaboration has for the first time revealed the key drivers of seabird migration. The new study suggests that puffin colonies that travel great distances during the winter often find it more difficult to breed than others, and that escaping your habitat with far-flung migration therefore carries a cost.

The IceCube Laboratory at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, in Antarctica, hosts the computers collecting raw data. Due to satellite bandwidth allocations, the first level of reconstruction and event filtering happens in near real-time in this lab. Only events selected as interesting for physics studies are sent to UW-Madison, where they are prepared for use by any member of the IceCube Collaboration.