As you may have guessed by now, urbanization changes the natural landscape and this can have consequences for the organisms that live in them. Feral pigeons, which had been domesticated thousands of years ago and transported globally by humans, are not immune to rapid urbanization impacts.
Previous studies have shown that there can be inbreeding within a flock, there can be a pattern of isolation by distance- IBD- (in Europe), and that pigeons form one genetic cluster (no IBD in SIngapore).
Elizabeth Carlen collected blood samples from feral pigeon across 6 cities in the Eastern United States to test whether these pigeons experience IBD like those in Europe, share genetic diversity across cities like those in Singapore, or experience isolation by barriers like many other cosmopolitan species. She collected nuclear genetic marker from a ddRADseq approach, then looked at whether these populations have shared genetic diversity.
As it turns out, many of the pigeon populations share genetic diversity at a regional scale. But there is evidence for inbreeding within flocks. Also, there seems to be a barrier between the 2 furthest north cities (Providence, RI and Boston, MA) and the 4 cities south of them.
To learn more about Elizabeth’s work, check out her website, twitter, and even some great posts here on the blog, like using a net gun to catch pigeons!
I am interested in urban ecology and evolution. Urbanization can have drastic impacts on local ecosystems, both negative and positive, and creates a new environment for organisms to experience. To understand the impacts that urbanization plays on organisms, I look through the lense of population genetics and molecular evolution.
- Urban Observation of the Week: Golden Jackal - July 28, 2021
- Urban Observation of the Week: Bellflowers in Munich - July 21, 2021
- Urban Observation of the Week: So Many Plants - July 14, 2021
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