Evolution in an Urbanizing World
Think about a classic urban species. The first ones that come to mind are usually rats, pigeons and cockroaches. I’d bet that less than 10% of people reading this thought of a reptile. With cockroaches (and possibly ants) being the exception, most big names of the city are birds and mammals. Rats, mice, squirrels, (feral)... Continue Reading →
Did you know that it has been estimated that the anthropogenic mass, representing all human-made objects, would exceed the living biomass in 2020 ± 6 years? Each year, humans accumulate 30 Gigatons of anthropogenic mass, based on the averages of the last 5 years. The article that made these estimations even mentions that “this corresponds... Continue Reading →
Urban environments consist mostly of bricks, concrete, asphalt, metal and glass: not very alluring substrates for many terrestrial organisms. Certain mosses and lichens can be seen sometimes on walls in the city, but even they will not easily grow in direct sunlight during dry periods, especially taking the ‘urban heat island effect’ into account (Deilami... Continue Reading →
Next to the crucial trade route of the Panama canal sits Panama city, where an intriguing example of urban evolution has taken place. As Panama city has grown from a population of around 200,000 in the 1950’s to a population of around 2 million today, massive urbanization has taken place [1]. Urbanization is dramatically reshaping... Continue Reading →
Do you remember when was the last time you blew dandelion seeds? Do you remember the last time you stopped your busy schedule and noticed a dandelion blooming? As far as I can remember, I haven't done this since I was in primary school. Why are dandelions becoming more and more rare in big cities?... Continue Reading →
If I were to ask a typical citizen what comes to mind when they hear the word 'nature,' they would likely think of jungles, oceans, and forests. Logical, because when the media talks about how 'nature is declining' it usually refers to declining 'natural' habitats such as coral reefs, the Amazon Rainforest or the polar... Continue Reading →
Unfortunately, I missed something of which I think is one of the most fantastic natural phenomena the world has to offer. Instead of watching a wonderful dance of light in the sky, I was sleeping… It all happened last Friday night (10th of May 2024). One of the most wonderful natural phenomena was visible above... Continue Reading →
Did you know that we are currently witnessing the largest extinction event on Earth in 250 million years? In this context, let’s delve into the crucial role of insects, even in our bustling cities. Contrary to what their small sizes might suggest, insects play a crucial role in our ecosystems. Without them, terrestrial and freshwater... Continue Reading →
The weather on the northern hemisphere is getting warmer which means beach days are approaching. Every beach dweller can confirm that seagulls (Larus sp.) can be very cunning and cheeky in order to steal food. Is this their ancestral behaviour or has this evolved with the rising of urban areas? Pavlova and Wronski (2020) studied... Continue Reading →
Around May, enormous swarms of termites wing up, coming out from the ground, trying to find the perfect match and establish their own families. After they find each other, the lovers shed their wings and seek out locations to build their marital homes, where they then reproduce. The nuptial flight of Macrotermes barneyi occurs every... Continue Reading →
Cats are a staple in human culture. They have been fed by us, housed by us, even worshipped by us, and are still helping us with many of our problems today — ranging from controlling pests to just being a cute companion. Exactly for this reason, the cat (Felis catus) has been taken alongside man... Continue Reading →
At first glance, a city is a hodgepodge of buildings, busy streets and public squares, people, traffic, and overall bustle. Yet, if you manage to see past the cacophony of everyday life, there is so much more to explore. A small co-resident of many cities, the ivy bee, reminds us of this. Colletes hederae, more... Continue Reading →
Knotted willows characterise many Dutch landscapes, where they are often seen in a row along creeks that have existed for decades. These willows are pruned every few years, which causes the characteristic wide “knot” at the treetop to form over time. Complex shapes can form due to this pruning, and it is quite common to... Continue Reading →
Domestic Cats (Felis silvestris catus; Felis catus) are a human commensal, said to have started their relationship with us during the era of the first settled farmers (approx. 12.000 years ago) within the Fertile Crescent region of the middle east.1 We took them into our homes and slowly transformed them into the royalty that a lot... Continue Reading →
At the heart of the Amazon rainforest, near the confluence of the Rio Negro and Amazone, lies the metropole Manaus. Nicknamed the Paris of the Tropics, Manaus is home to over two million people and functions as the economical hub of the northern part of Brazil. Incidentally, it is also the last refuge of the... Continue Reading →
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