Signatures of local adaptation and maladaptation to future climate in wild Zizania latifolia Yang Zou, Weidong Yang, Ruxue Zhang & Xinwei Xu Abstract Global climate change poses challenges to agricultural production and food security. Assessing the adaptive capacity of crop wild relatives to future climate is important for protecting key germplasm resources and breeding new crops. We performed population genomics,... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: The impact of urbanization on outcrossing rate and population genetic variation in the native wildflower, Impatiens capensis
The impact of urbanization on outcrossing rate and population genetic variation in the native wildflower, Impatiens capensis L. Ruth Rivkin and Marc T. J. Johnson Abstract Cities are one of the fastest growing ecosystems on the planet, and conserving urban biodiversity is of primary importance. Urbanization increases habitat fragmentation and may be particularly problematic for... Continue Reading →
Cities’ Shrinking Gene Pools
PDF version of infographic Download Full paper here: Schmidt, C., Domaratzki, M., Kinnunen, R. P., Bowman, J., & Garroway, C. J. (2020). Continent-wide effects of urbanization on bird and mammal genetic diversity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287(1920), 20192497. doi:10.1098/rspb.2019.2497
Urbanization Reduces Genetic Connectivity in Bobcats
When you live in the outskirts of the city, every once in a while you may spot a bobcat in your neighborhood. In fact, we have had a few urban observation posts of neighborhood bobcats. But how are these urban bobcats fairing compared to ones that stay in their natural habitat? Recently, Kozakiewicz and co-authors... Continue Reading →
Evolution 2019: Population Structure, Genetic Diversity, and Genotypic Specificity in Flowering Time of Boston Area Dandelions (Taraxacum sp.)
Who hasn’t picked up a fluffy dandelion, blew a deep breath, and smiled as the seeds fly along on the wind? But did you know that those seeds are possibly clones of the parent plant? Dandelions (Taraxacum sp.) can produce seeds asexually, a process called apomixis that involves no fusion of egg and sperm. The... Continue Reading →
Evolution 2019: Urban Coyotes are Genetically Distinct from and Less Diverse than Coyotes in Natural Habitats
Habitat fragmentation associated with urbanisation if often thought to limit the movement of mobile species, potentially leading to genetically distinct clusters of individuals across a city. Identifying the landscape features that act as barriers to dispersal and drive population differentiation has become a central goal in recent urban evolution research. Javier Monzón, an assistant professor... Continue Reading →
Even Low Intensity Urbanization Can Influence Evolution
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 →