Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo, Kaspar Delhey, Lucía Izquierdo, Mihai Valcu, Bart Kempenaers Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo and Kaspar Delhey shared first authors. Abstract Rapidly expanding urbanisation presents significant challenges to wildlife. Consequently, many studies have investigated the impact of urbanisation on diverse organisms. However, despite the ecological relevance of animal colouration, its association with urbanisation remains poorly understood. Using a global... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert! Melanic urban hedgehogs!
Published April 10, 2025 in Mammal Research: Melanin-based colouration in European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus): is it under selection in urban environments? Isabelle Defosseux, Cécile le Barzic, Pascal Arné, Grégory Jouvion & Julien Gasparini Abstract: Urbanisation is currently expanding at small and global scales, forcing several species to adapt to this new environment. In this context,... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Parallel Signatures of Diet Adaptation in the Invasive Common Myna Genome
Parallel Signatures of Diet Adaptation in the Invasive Common Myna Genome Kamolphat Atsawawaranunt, Katarina C. Stuart, Annabel Whibley, Kyle M. Ewart, Richard E. Major, Rebecca N. Johnson, Anna W. Santure Abstract Invasive species offer uniquely replicated model systems to study rapid adaptation. The common myna (Acridotheres tristis) has been introduced to over a dozen countries and is classified as one of... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Effects of urbanisation, habitat characteristics, and management on garden pond biodiversity: Findings from a large-scale citizen science survey
Effects of urbanisation, habitat characteristics, and management on garden pond biodiversity: Findings from a large-scale citizen science survey Zsuzsanna Márton, Barbara Barta, Csaba F. Vad, Beáta Szabó, Andrew J. Hamer, Vivien Kardos, Csilla Laskai, Ádám Fierpasz & Zsófia Horváth Abstract The rapid expansion of urban areas often leads to degradation, fragmentation, and loss of natural habitats, threatening biodiversity. While urban ponds might contribute substantially to the biodiversity of urban blue-green infrastructure, the... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: City lights, moonlit nights: examining bat responses to urbanization and lunar cycles
City lights, moonlit nights: examining bat responses to urbanization and lunar cycles Claysson de Aguiar Silva & Ludmilla M. S. Aguiar Abstract Urbanization is one of the most abrupt mechanisms of land use change. This process can generate significant impacts on biodiversity, and its effects on bat activity patterns need further exploration due to the importance... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Body size and survival of urban and rural populations of a common wolf spider are not influenced by lifelong exposure to lead pollution
Body size and survival of urban and rural populations of a common wolf spider are not influenced by lifelong exposure to lead pollution Lucy Guarnieri, Leo Taylor, P. Larry Phelan & Mary Margaret Gardiner Abstract Heavy metal pollution is pervasive in urban soils, and it can negatively impact the fitness of arthropods. Arthropod populations can evolve to... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Signatures of local adaptation and maladaptation to future climate in wild Zizania latifolia
Signatures of local adaptation and maladaptation to future climate in wild Zizania latifolia Yang Zou, Weidong Yang, Ruxue Zhang & Xinwei Xu Abstract Global climate change poses challenges to agricultural production and food security. Assessing the adaptive capacity of crop wild relatives to future climate is important for protecting key germplasm resources and breeding new crops. We performed population genomics,... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Big cities, big bodies: urbanisation correlates with large body sizes and enhanced body condition in African dwarf chameleons (Genus: Bradypodion)
Big cities, big bodies: urbanisation correlates with large body sizes and enhanced body condition in African dwarf chameleons (Genus: Bradypodion) Jody M. Barends & Krystal A. Tolley Abstract Urbanisation is a major driver of habitat transformation that alters the environmental conditions and selective regimes of the habitats where it occurs. For species inhabiting urban habitats, such... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Continent-wide parallel urban evolution of increased heat tolerance in a common moth
Continent-wide parallel urban evolution of increased heat tolerance in a common moth Thomas Merckx, Matthew E. Nielsen, Tuomas Kankaanpää, Tomáš Kadlec, Mahtab Yazdanian, Sami M. Kivelä Abstract Urbanization and its urban-heat-island effect (UHI) have expanding footprints worldwide. The UHI means that urban habitats experience a higher mean and more frequent extreme high temperatures than rural... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: How does urbanization affect natural selection?
How does urbanization affect natural selection? Anne Charmantier, Tracy Burkhard, Laura Gervais, Charles Perrier, Albrecht I. Schulte-Hostedde & Megan J. Thompson Abstract Urbanisation is one of the most significant contributors to the Anthropocene, and urban evolutionary ecology has become an important field of research. While it is commonly assumed that cities impose new and/or stronger... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Urban Life Affects Differentiation and Phenotypic Variation but not Asymmetry in a Fully Terrestrial Salamander
Urban Life Affects Differentiation and Phenotypic Variation but not Asymmetry in a Fully Terrestrial Salamander Lucía Alarcón-Ríos, Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou, David Álvarez & Guillermo Velo-Antón Abstract The environmental transformations associated with cities are expected to affect organisms at the demographic, phenotypic, and evolutionary level, often negatively. The prompt detection of stressed populations before their viability is compromised is essential to... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Urban environment determines population genetics in the green toad, Bufotes viridis
Urban environment determines population genetics in the green toad, Bufotes viridis Viktória Vargová, Damiána Gužiová, Monika Balogová, Natália Pipová, Marcel Uhrin & Peter Kaňuch Abstract Heavily urbanized areas can hinder dispersal and gene flow between amphibian populations. Given the growth potential of urbanization, it is important to examine how this specific environment shapes their genetic... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Metabolic adjustment in urban birds: glycometabolic enzyme activities in urban and rural tree sparrows (passer montanus)
Metabolic adjustment in urban birds: glycometabolic enzyme activities in urban and rural tree sparrows (passer montanus) J Shang, S Cun, S Zhang, W Liang Abstract Urbanization is rapidly changing habitats of wild birds around the world. Food availability is one of the important factors leading to phenotypic differences between urban and rural bird populations. Comparing... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Variation in Pheidole nodus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) functional morphology across urban parks
Variation in Pheidole nodus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) functional morphology across urban parks Y Luo, QM Wei, C Newman, XQ Huang, XY Luo, ZM Zhou Abstract Background Habitat fragmentation and consequent population isolation in urban areas can impose significant selection pressures on individuals and species confined to urban islands, such as parks. Despite many comparative studies on... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Habitat Use, Terrestriality and Feeding Behaviour of Javan Slow Lorises in Urban Areas of a Multi-Use Landscape in Indonesia
Habitat Use, Terrestriality and Feeding Behaviour of Javan Slow Lorises in Urban Areas of a Multi-Use Landscape in Indonesia L Karimloo, M Campera, M.A. Imron, S Rakholia, A Mehta, K Hedger, K.A.I. Nekaris Abstract Urban areas are rapidly expanding into natural habitats worldwide. When species are threatened with habitat loss, it is vital to understand... Continue Reading →