Evolution in an Urbanizing World
This post is part of our series covering the large number of urban evolution manuscripts that were published in August 2018 in the special issue "The Evolution of City Life" in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Urbanization can create new pathways of introduction for invasive species. The recently introduced invasive grass Brachypodium... Continue Reading →
A recent article published in Conservation Genetics by Gizelle Hurtado and Karen Mabry found that even low levels of urbanization can influence genetic structure of Merriam's kangaroo rat. Researchers collected the kangaroo rats from Las Cruces, NM in 5 urban and 5 non-urban sites to compare genetic diversity and genetic structure between the two habitat... Continue Reading →
An outstanding question in urban evolutionary biology is what factors influence a species' success in urban environments. This is a topic we've talked about before (check out Urban Adaptation in Mammals) and several other recent papers have tackled this topic. A variety of factors may influence whether or not a species occupies an urban environment... Continue Reading →
What is urbanization and how do we, as urban evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and conservation biologists, define this metric? We've written about this topic before and a new paper by Remington Moll et al. titled "What does urbanization actually mean? A framework for urban metrics in wildlife research" takes a deep dive into defining urbanization. Generally,... Continue Reading →
Evidence for evolution in urban systems is increasing, but a key outstanding question in the field of urban ecology and eco-evolutionary dynamics is whether the ability of individuals to adapt to environmental conditions (plasticity) also evolves and how this process can happen. In a new paper, Sarah Diamond and her collaborators looked to examine the... Continue Reading →
Let’s consider a scenario. You’re designing a new research project, and you realize that for the first time that you (or your students) are going to need access to private property in an urban area to answer your question properly. Do you need a permit? A permission form? Who do you ask? Should you just... Continue Reading →
Coyote have widely colonized every mayor city in the United States. A new study asks what behaviors urban coyotes exhibit and what this might tells us about the process facilitating their success in the city.
Mammals are some of the most easily recognizable and endearing critters to share our cities with us. Who doesn't love a cute bunny or squirrel in a city park? Or a fox or raccoon slinking through the streets at night. Even city rats can be endearing. Despite the commonality of these species, urban areas are... Continue Reading →
Ecological stoichiometry of the black widow spider and its prey from desert, urban and laboratory populations Urbanization can change the nutrient availability for organisms that live within cities. Ecological stoichiometry (ES) is a way to identify nutrient requirements and limitations of organisms by measuring carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). ES can show when their are imbalances in... Continue Reading →
Anole invasion One of my favorite things about Florida, besides the warm weather, is that it's home to several anole lizards that have invaded from nearby. Some lizards invaders come from Cuba, like the brown anole (Anolis sagrei). Others, like the crested anole (Anolis cristatellus) come from Puerto Rico (like me!). This makes Florida a fascinating... Continue Reading →
As a common urban bird, pigeons usually provoke strong opinions — people often either despise them or enjoy the daily wildlife interaction that they provide. While conducting an urban ecology study in Butte, Montana, Dr. Stella Capoccia noticed that because of their ubiquity, pigeons are often taken for granted as an important member of the urban ecosystem. This... Continue Reading →
Above: (c) Erin Walsh for Journal of Conservation Physiology on the evolution of heat tolerance in Daphnia Earlier this week, I introduced you to the aquatic flea, Daphnia magna, and its habitat in urban environments. I'll pick up where I left off and tell you now about the research I've been doing with these aquatic organisms. After... Continue Reading →
Above: (c) Erin Walsh for Journal of Conservation Physiology on the evolution of heat tolerance in Daphnia “No they do not itch”, “Yes, they are super cute”, and “Yes, they live in water”. “Also in this pond?”. Behold the standard answers given during an ‘interrogatory’ conversation with a passer-by on a sunny sampling day, somewhere in... Continue Reading →
This post is part of our series covering the large number of urban evolution manuscripts that were published in August in the special issue "The Evolution of City Life" in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Urban environments are often composed of novel communities of native and introduced species. In several cities in Germany,... Continue Reading →
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