Category: New Research
Blog news (3) Books (2) Citizen Science (18) Conference Proceedings (73) Defining Urbanization (6) Guest Post (8) How To (13) Museums/Natural History Collections (3) Natural History Notes (10) New Lit Abstracts (101) New Research (180) New Research Tools (7) Notes from the field (15) Public Outreach (21) sustainable development (1) Uncategorized (38) Urban Environments (48) Urban Evolution in the Media (11) Urban observations (82) Urban Wildlife (9)
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Behavioral Convergence in Urban Wildlife
Urbanization leads to similar, anthropogenic-induced conditions in cities across the world. Even though cities are located in distinct biomes with variable climates and unique…
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Cities as Evolutionary Incubators: Unlocking the Secret of the Spotted Lanternfly Invasion
If you live in the Northeast United States, the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) probably needs no introduction. Since their arrival around 2014, these striking…
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Urbanized Invaders
Does urban evolution help or hamper invasive species? Among biologist invasive species have been a well-documented problem for a long time. In the Netherlands…
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The Urban Spider Survival Guide
An introduction to the city spider Spiders are the most diverse and abundant terrestrial predators on earth. This group of species is, in turn,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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.…
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Artificial light at night may make African mouse species vulnerable
When thinking about a city at night, chances are that you include some twinkling streetlights in your mental image. Billboards, streetlamps, and neon signs…
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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…
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SICB 2025: The Impact of Urban Heat Islands and Wetlands on Avian Diversity
The shrinkage of natural landscapes with increased urbanization causes substantial shifts in ecosystems, particularly a decrease in bird diversity. Understanding the interactions between the…
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Algae might be the cure to pharmaceutical waste
With the rise of modern medicine came the rise of pharmaceutical waste. Not only expired or discontinued drugs and hospital waste fall under this…
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Focus points for urban biodiversity conservation planning and design for birds, reptiles and amphibians
Urbanization is happening all over the world. Everywhere you look, you can see that cities are expanding and new cities are being built. This…
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Is agriculture actually beneficial for avian biodiversity?
It is a common belief that human-modified areas, such as farmlands, support fewer bird species than natural habitats such as forests. However, new research…