Evolution in an Urbanizing World
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 →
When we think of urban organisms, we often don't think of aquatic organisms. But wetlands exist in the urban matrix, and aquatic and amphibious species are impacted by habitat changes associated with urbanization. A recent study published in Ecology and Evolution by Jared Homola, Cynthia Loftin, and Michael Kinnison dug into the population genetics of... Continue Reading →
I've just returned from spending a summer in Panama City, Panama, where I was an intern at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Specifically, I worked on University of Nevada Reno Assistant Professor Michael Logan's project, titled The Genomic Basis of Thermal Adaptation: A Large-Scale Transplant Experiment in the Panama Canal. If you're interested, you... Continue Reading →
It's hot out there! This summer has seen excessive heat waves sweeping the world and breaking records - many places recorded the hottest summer temperatures ever! What does an ectotherm do to chill out in this extreme heat? This frog has found an unusual solution and is our urban observation of the week. https://www.instagram.com/p/B0HrHVlBgHN/?igshid=pb6g3al3s2g Do... Continue Reading →
Did you know that all toads are frogs but not all frogs are toads? Frogs are found in and near water while true toads are found on land. This toad was found on a pile of trash, still on land though! Thanks to Julia Riley for this great urban observation. Julia was also a co-author... Continue Reading →
Posts here on Life in the City have covered the gamut of impacts of urbanization: the urban heat island, habitat fragmentation, artificial structures, changes in species interactions, and more. One aspect of anthropogenic change we haven’t yet considered is alterations to radioecology, or the ecology of how radioactive compounds affect organisms and the environment. While... Continue Reading →
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