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Black bears in the Backyard: Adapting to a New Kind of Wild
Cities are a special environment regulated by humans: planted green spaces, paved streets, large buildings, constant light and traffic. Some animals like meadow birds have disappeared from these landscapes, but other animals have not. Trashcans, littering, bird feeders, food laying…
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New Lit Alert: Parallel phenotypes of Littoraria angulifera emerge across ecoregions, as a response to urbanization
Parallel phenotypes of Littoraria angulifera emerge across ecoregions, as a response to urbanization Javier A. Venegas, Levy Obonaga & José M. Riascos Abstract Cities are emerging as the fastest-growing ecosystems on Earth. While evidence is accumulating that a diverse array of species exploits urban habitats,…
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Urbanization’s Hidden Pleiotropic Effect on Pigeon Plumage Color and Blood Cholesterol
Some fries left on the ground, a half-eaten sandwich, or some breadcrumbs kindly given by someone on a park bench. Pigeons (Columba livia) in the city don’t shy away from eating human-derived foods. Although most pigeons are eager to eat…
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The Evolution of Creek Chubs: How Urbanization is Shaping Freshwater Species
Urbanization strongly affects freshwater streams, because they are sensitive to land use due to their topographical location. The increase in discharge that occurs after rainfall is one of the most noticeable alterations to urban streams. In urban environments, buildings, roads,…
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Spotlight on foraging behaviour of nocturnal rodents
What wakes you up in the morning? Is it your alarm clock? Is it the clattering of your housemate in the kitchen? Is it the smell of coffee? While these experiences happen like clockwork, for many organisms it is not…
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New Lit Alert: Were bed bugs the first urban pest insect? Genome-wide patterns of bed bug demography mirror global human expansion
Were bed bugs the first urban pest insect? Genome-wide patterns of bed bug demography mirror global human expansion Lindsay S. Miles, Brian C. Verrelli, Richard Adams, Yannick Z. Francioli, Daren C. Card, Ondřej Balvin, Todd A. Castoe and Warren Booth…
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New Lit Alert: Different traits shape winners and losers in urban bird assemblages across seasons
Different traits shape winners and losers in urban bird assemblages across seasons Riccardo Alba, Fabio Marcolin, Giacomo Assandri, Luca Ilahiane, Francesca Cochis, Mattia Brambilla, Diego Rubolini & Dan Chamberlain Abstract Urbanisation is a major driver of global biodiversity decline, profoundly affecting animal communities. While most studies on bird…
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Swimming through concrete: how the platypus adapts to city life
The platypus: a peculiar mix of DNA The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), a well known monotreme from Australia, is an animal that defies one’s imagination. With a bill like a duck, tail like a beaver and feet like an otter’s, this…
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