Evolution in an Urbanizing World
Above: (c) Erin Walsh for Journal of Conservation Physiology on the evolution of heat tolerance in Daphnia Earlier this week, I introduced you to the aquatic flea, Daphnia magna, and its habitat in urban environments. I'll pick up where I left off and tell you now about the research I've been doing with these aquatic organisms. After... Continue Reading →
Above: (c) Erin Walsh for Journal of Conservation Physiology on the evolution of heat tolerance in Daphnia “No they do not itch”, “Yes, they are super cute”, and “Yes, they live in water”. “Also in this pond?”. Behold the standard answers given during an ‘interrogatory’ conversation with a passer-by on a sunny sampling day, somewhere in... Continue Reading →
A painted lady (Vanessa cardui), a species of butterfly common in urban habitats (Photo credit: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT) The urban heat island effect is a well-known consequence of urbanization whereby temperatures in cities are higher than those in surrounding natural areas. One wrinkle in the heat island effect is that the increase in temperatures is not... Continue Reading →
Posted by: Brian C. Verrelli, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA The esteemed evolutionary biologist Douglas J. Futuyma once famously wondered “Wherefore and whither the naturalist?” in pondering the role of naturalists and the future of natural history studies. It is hard to imagine one without the other. I could not help but think something similar in... Continue Reading →
In their recent contribution to the special issue on urban evolution in Proceedings B, Sarah Diamond and team share their exciting results on detecting parallel and non-parallel physiological responses to the urban heat island in acorn ants (paper here). This is the first of several posts to come on the recent special issue on urban evolution... Continue Reading →
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