Evolution in an Urbanizing World
A number of years ago there was quite a lot of media attention regarding a possible case of in situ evolution of Culex pipiens form molestus in the London Underground metro system. This media buzz created speculation that this was a unique species that had risen during the over 160 year long existence of the... Continue Reading →
During the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) 2024 conference, I interviewed Andrea Beverly and Jamie Lau, from Radford University, who are studying how the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is impacting freshwater streams in Rural Virginia. We discuss their collaboration with local groups, the intersection between politics and science, and the... Continue Reading →
Our perceptions of wildlife and nature are shaped by the media which highlights. The mold has been set by great figures like David Attenborough, with his memorable narrative voice. However, these documentaries only explored 'pristine' landscapes in far away lands, while ignoring the creatures that must contend with the Urban Jungle. In my first (and... Continue Reading →
Check out this video of Zoë Rossman discussing the vibrant and diverse wildlife in Albuquerque, New Mexico! https://twitter.com/ABQcitynature/status/1635393208393023488 Zoë is a wildlife photographer and Ph.D. candidate studying urban coyotes (Canis latrans), and other large mammals, at the University of New Mexico. In 2021, she sat down with Laura Paskus of New Mexico PBS to discuss... Continue Reading →
“How life adapts to cities around the world” is a 5 minute educational animated film created by Sherry An (myself), a science and medical illuHow the GLUE Animation Came Aboutstrator and designer from Mississauga, Canada. The film uses 3D animation and visual storytelling to share the goals and results of the first GLUE study in... Continue Reading →
A new urban ecology book by Dr. Cylita Guy is out that highlights the work of multiple urban ecologists and evolutionary biologists, including many of our LITC contributors! What can city bees tell us about climate change? How are we changing coyote behavior? And what the heck is a science bike? Featuring the work of... Continue Reading →
Recently, our research has been center stage in a number of different platforms! There was a documentary, Darwin in Times Square- the Science of Urban Evolution, that went live last week (if you live in France and Germany). There was an article in the New York Times about Elizabeth Carlen's research on pigeons. This was... Continue Reading →
The YouTube channel TierZoo makes a ton of cool videos about animals, specifically viewed through the lens of gaming, where they rank different animal species according to how successful they are at living in different habitats. Past videos have included lists of dinosaurs, sharks, and cats. However, I was recently thrilled to find they had... Continue Reading →
The tropics of Trinidad… the gleaming ice of the Arctic… as urban scientists, these are field sites we typically forgo for the sake of a short(ish) commute. Studying what’s “close to home” certainly has its benefits. Not only can we study the evolutionary dynamics of our own neighborhoods’ wildlife, but we also engage in science... Continue Reading →
As someone studying animals in cities, I often feel need to justify why it is essential that we understand how organisms utilize and evolve within urban habitat. People may think that I study urban environments because I’m lazy or can’t handle real fieldwork, but the truth is that we know very little about how animal... Continue Reading →
The Smithsonian Channel and Day's Edge Productions have put together a fantastic mini-series and a full-length documentary on anole evolutionary research. Episode 7 of the miniseries and part of the full-length movie feature urban lizards and urban evolution research by myself and my collaborators, Shane Campbell-Staton (UCLA) and Jason Kolbe / the Kolbe lab (U. Rhode Island). Check out... Continue Reading →
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