Evolution in an Urbanizing World
We often think about how the construction of new buildings, parking lots, and industrial areas will impact the local wildlife. And, indeed, governments require environmental impact surveys and ongoing monitoring when vulnerable species are present. However, it wasn't until I saw the paper "Music Festival Makes Hedgehogs Move: How Individuals Cope Behaviorally in Response to... Continue Reading →
It's turtle hatchling emergence time in Massachusetts, as this recent article in The Boston Globe pointed out! And right on cue, this week I came across two tiny hatchling turtles running the gauntlet across the bike path in Boston's Emerald Necklace to get to the water. Both turtles are native species to Massachusetts: the Painted... Continue Reading →
The wolverine (Gulo gulo, not the Marvel hero) is the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family. In the early 20th century, wolverines were nearly extirpated in the contiguous United States, but still had populations in Canada. However, since their populations are so low in the US, they have become a conservation concern. Previous... Continue Reading →
When you think of urban birds, you probably don't think of a flock of 20 lb wild turkeys. A friend of mine shared his recent encounter with a group of these modern dinosaurs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo credits: Louis Neidorf Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What... Continue Reading →
The rate of urbanization is increasing greatly and with that, comes large human populations. Our population has increased from 6 billion people in 2000 to roughly 7.8 billion people in 2020 and in North America alone (~370 million people), over 80% of people reside in cities. These urban areas serve as an epicenter for human... Continue Reading →
Although we need to social distance and wear masks for safety, wild animals (even domestic ones) are exempt from these during the pandemic. So a bunch of corvids get together and have a nice little party on your power lines. I'm thinking our observer may have tasted a hint of jealousy? Stay safe and healthy!... Continue Reading →
Pathogens are organisms that cause disease, and zoonotic pathogens are those that can be transmitted between animals and people. Where pathogens are found can be determined by environmental changes. Urbanization is known to mediate environmental changes in cities as well as impact biodiversity. In Brazil, Belo et al. (2011) found a higher prevalence of parasites... Continue Reading →
Earlier in 2020, murder wasps were a thing. Thankfully they went away, but there are a number of endemic wasps and hornets that occasionally show up in urban areas. One of these is the mud dauber, a wasp that builds is home from mud. This one decided to build its nest right next to a... Continue Reading →
Urbanization is arguably one of the most rapid and conspicuous human-driven environmental changes, and fragmentation is one of the most pervasive outcomes of urbanization. Patches of vegetation within the built matrix of a typical cityscape, such as parks and gardens, are usually small and isolated and movement among them potentially jeopardized. Bumblebees are common in... Continue Reading →
As some of you may know by now, one of our co-editors/founders of this blog, Kristin Winchell, researches anoles adapting to urban areas. So of course we get excited to see anoles caught on camera in urban areas. This week's observation is a green anole on campus at Loyola University in New Orleans, captured by... Continue Reading →
Recently, Ruth Rivkin shared some of her dissertation work with the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (CSEE). Urban habitats are more fragmented and degraded than nonurban habitats, which can impact both the ecology and evolution of species interactions. Species interaction may be particularly sensitive to urbanization because the species involved may be responding to... Continue Reading →
Urban birders strike again! This week we bring a pair of house sparrows at a field station in Louisiana catching food for their young. Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant or animal that you were surprised to find in a city?... Continue Reading →
The Galápagos Islands are renowned for their unique, endemic biodiversity which inspired Charles Darwin to develop his theory of evolution by natural selection. In particular, Darwin’s finches are an iconic example of adaptive radiation due to natural selection, where ~18 species have evolved from a single, common ancestor. Adaptive radiations can occur when exploitation of... Continue Reading →
The more that we build our homes up against pristine habitat, the more likely we are to encounter what we previously thought were rare species. Here is an example of a wild bobcat in Northern Phoenix on the hunt. We've seen more instances of bobcats in our urban observation posts and in our new research.... Continue Reading →
As areas become more urbanized, fauna are continually exposed to novel anthropogenic structures and are forced to adapt. However, adapting is not always an option. For example, we see that individuals across various groups have not adapted to roads and train tracks (e.g., deer, bears, birds) and the outcome is fatal. Instead of creating barriers... Continue Reading →
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