Urban Evolutionary Biology

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Urban Evolutionary Biology

Author : Marta Szulkin,Jason Munshi-South,Anne Charmantier
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 318 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2020-03-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780198836841

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Urban Evolutionary Biology by Marta Szulkin,Jason Munshi-South,Anne Charmantier Pdf

Urban Evolutionary Biology fills an important knowledge gap on wild organismal evolution in the urban environment, whilst offering a novel exploration of the fast-growing new field of evolutionary research. The growing rate of urbanization and the maturation of urban study systems worldwide means interest in the urban environment as an agent of evolutionary change is rapidly increasing. We are presently witnessing the emergence of a new field of research in evolutionary biology. Despite its rapid global expansion, the urban environment has until now been a largely neglected study site among evolutionary biologists. With its conspicuously altered ecological dynamics, it stands in stark contrast to the natural environments traditionally used as cornerstones for evolutionary ecology research. Urbanization can offer a great range of new opportunities to test for rapid evolutionary processes as a consequence of human activity, both because of replicate contexts for hypothesis testing, but also because cities are characterized by an array of easily quantifiable environmental axes of variation and thus testable agents of selection. Thanks to a wide possible breadth of inference (in terms of taxa) that may be studied, and a great variety of analytical methods, urban evolution has the potential to stand at a fascinating multi-disciplinary crossroad, enriching the field of evolutionary biology with emergent yet incredibly potent new research themes where the urban habitat is key. Urban Evolutionary Biology is an advanced textbook suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers studying the genetics, evolutionary biology, and ecology of urban environments. It is also highly relevant to urban ecologists and urban wildlife practitioners.

Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Academic Press
Page : 392 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2014-08-12
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780128014332

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Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics by Anonim Pdf

The theme of this volume is to discuss Eco-evolutionary Dynamics. Updates and informs the reader on the latest research findings Written by leading experts in the field Highlights areas for future investigation

Darwin Comes to Town

Author : Menno Schilthuizen
Publisher : Quercus Publishing
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2018-02-08
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781786481078

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Darwin Comes to Town by Menno Schilthuizen Pdf

See your city through fresh eyes We are marching towards a future in which three-quarters of humans live in cities, and a large portion of the planet's landmass is urbanized. With much of the rest covered by human-shaped farms, pasture, and plantations, where can nature still go? To the cities -- is Menno Schilthuizen's answer in this remarkable book. And with more and more wildlife carving out new niches among humans, evolution takes a surprising turn. Urban animals evolve to become more cheeky and resourceful, city pigeons develop detox-plumage, and weeds growing from cracks in the pavement get a new type of seeds. City blackbirds are even on their way of becoming an entirely new species, which we could name Turdus urbanicus. Thanks to evolutionary adaptation taking place at unprecedented speeds, plants and animals are coming up with new ways of living in the seemingly hostile environments of asphalt and steel that we humans have created. We are on the verge of a new chapter in the history of life, Schilthuizen says -- a chapter in which much old biodiversity is, sadly, disappearing, but also one in which a new and exciting set of life forms is being born. Menno Schilthuizen shows us that evolution in cities can happen far more rapidly, and strangely, than Darwin had dared dream.

Urban Evolutionary Biology

Author : Marta Szulkin,Jason Munshi-South,Anne Charmantier
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2020-05-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780192573841

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Urban Evolutionary Biology by Marta Szulkin,Jason Munshi-South,Anne Charmantier Pdf

Urban Evolutionary Biology fills an important knowledge gap on wild organismal evolution in the urban environment, whilst offering a novel exploration of the fast-growing new field of evolutionary research. The growing rate of urbanization and the maturation of urban study systems worldwide means interest in the urban environment as an agent of evolutionary change is rapidly increasing. We are presently witnessing the emergence of a new field of research in evolutionary biology. Despite its rapid global expansion, the urban environment has until now been a largely neglected study site among evolutionary biologists. With its conspicuously altered ecological dynamics, it stands in stark contrast to the natural environments traditionally used as cornerstones for evolutionary ecology research. Urbanization can offer a great range of new opportunities to test for rapid evolutionary processes as a consequence of human activity, both because of replicate contexts for hypothesis testing, but also because cities are characterized by an array of easily quantifiable environmental axes of variation and thus testable agents of selection. Thanks to a wide possible breadth of inference (in terms of taxa) that may be studied, and a great variety of analytical methods, urban evolution has the potential to stand at a fascinating multi-disciplinary crossroad, enriching the field of evolutionary biology with emergent yet incredibly potent new research themes where the urban habitat is key. Urban Evolutionary Biology is an advanced textbook suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers studying the genetics, evolutionary biology, and ecology of urban environments. It is also highly relevant to urban ecologists and urban wildlife practitioners.

Inheritors of the Earth

Author : Chris D. Thomas
Publisher : PublicAffairs
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2017-09-05
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781610397285

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Inheritors of the Earth by Chris D. Thomas Pdf

Human activity has irreversibly changed the natural environment. But the news isn't all bad. It's accepted wisdom today that human beings have permanently damaged the natural world, causing extinction, deforestation, pollution, and of course climate change. But in Inheritors of the Earth, biologist Chris Thomas shows that this obscures a more hopeful truth -- we're also helping nature grow and change. Human cities and mass agriculture have created new places for enterprising animals and plants to live, and our activities have stimulated evolutionary change in virtually every population of living species. Most remarkably, Thomas shows, humans may well have raised the rate at which new species are formed to the highest level in the history of our planet. Drawing on the success stories of diverse species, from the ochre-colored comma butterfly to the New Zealand pukeko, Thomas overturns the accepted story of declining biodiversity on Earth. In so doing, he questions why we resist new forms of life, and why we see ourselves as unnatural. Ultimately, he suggests that if life on Earth can recover from the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs, it can survive the onslaughts of the technological age. This eye-opening book is a profound reexamination of the relationship between humanity and the natural world.

Urban Bird Ecology and Conservation

Author : Christopher A. Lepczyk,Paige S. Warren
Publisher : Univ of California Press
Page : 375 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2012-10-26
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780520953895

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Urban Bird Ecology and Conservation by Christopher A. Lepczyk,Paige S. Warren Pdf

Now that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, the study of birds in urban ecosystems has emerged at the forefront of ornithological research. An international team of leading researchers in urban bird ecology and conservation from across Europe and North America presents the state of this diverse field, addressing classic questions while proposing new directions for further study. Areas of particular focus include the processes underlying patterns of species shifts along urban-rural gradients, the demography of urban birds and the role of citizen science, and human-avian interaction in urban areas. This important reference fills a crucial need for scientists, planners, and managers of urban spaces and all those interested in the study and conservation of birds in the world’s expanding metropolises.

Uncivilised Genes

Author : Gustav Milne
Publisher : Crown House Publishing Ltd
Page : 295 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2017-08-31
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9781781352830

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Uncivilised Genes by Gustav Milne Pdf

In Uncivilised Genes: Human Evolution and the Urban Paradox, Gustav Milne explores how we can reconfigure our lifestyles and urban environments, based on an understanding of our prehistoric past, in order to bring about a richer future for mankind. We evolved as hunter-gatherers over a period of more than three million years: living off the land within small tribal societies in a symbiotic working relationship with nature. Understanding this legacy and how our evolution has determined our social, psychological, nutritional and physiological needs means we can adopt what Milne has termed evolutionary-concordant behaviours: behaviours designed to reconcile the fundamental mismatch between our current urban lifestyles and our ancient biology. Our ancestral diets and lifestyles could hold the secret not only to enhancing our health and happiness but also to combating the prevalence of western lifestyle diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and various types of cancer to name but a few. Milne expertly evaluates these challenges - along with many other issues pertinent to our urban wellbeing - and proposes solutions within our reach, including adaptations to our dietary regimes, lifestyle-embedded activities and school and university curriculums, and a re-engineering of our built environment to better suit our needs. Drawing on what archaeological evidence reveals about Palaeolithic and Mesolithic diets, as well as on anthropological studies of contemporary hunter-gatherer societies, Uncivilised Genes offers timely insights to enhance our collective and individual health and prosperity. It also shines a spotlight on the evolutionary determinants of social behaviour, and looks at how we can bridge the gap between the world we are creating and the un-urbanised, uncivilised world to which we are genetically and psychologically better adapted. This book is not a rejection of modernity. Neither is it a call to reject towns and seek solace in a rural idyll, nor another celebrity-endorsed fad diet or exercise programme. Rather, it is a comprehensive chronicle of the myriad factors that continue to contribute to our societal and personal wellbeing, and a broad-ranging blueprint for a richer future more in tune with our basic physiology, psychology, metabolism and mindset. Essential reading for anyone interested in living a healthier, more evolutionary-concordant life. Contents include: 1. In the Beginning; 2. Genesis; 3. A View of the Garden; 4. A Hunger Game; 5. Food for Thought; 6. Body of Evidence; 7. A Life Less Sedentary; 8. Lost Tribes; 9. Hunter-Gatherer vs. Football-Shopper; 10. Music and Words; 11. Green and Pleasant; 12. Central Park; 13. Old Town; 14. Urban Regeneration; 15. Revelations.

Behavioural and Ecological Consequences of Urban Life in Birds

Author : Caroline Isaksson,Amanda D. Rodewald,Diego Gil
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
Page : 364 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2018-06-19
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9782889454976

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Behavioural and Ecological Consequences of Urban Life in Birds by Caroline Isaksson,Amanda D. Rodewald,Diego Gil Pdf

Urbanization is next to global warming the largest threat to biodiversity. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly evident that many bird species get locally extinct as a result of urban development. However, many bird species benefit from urbanization, especially through the abundance of human-provided resources, and increase in abundance and densities. These birds are intriguing to study in relation to its resilience and adaption to urban environments, but also in relation to its susceptibility and the potential costs of urban life. This Research Topic consisting of 30 articles (one review, two meta-analyzes and 27 original data papers) provides insights into species and population responses to urbanization through diverse lenses, including biogeography, community ecology, behaviour, life history evolution, and physiology.

Nature All Around Us

Author : Beatrix Beisner,Christian Messier,Luc-Alain Giraldeau
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 154 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780226922751

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Nature All Around Us by Beatrix Beisner,Christian Messier,Luc-Alain Giraldeau Pdf

"Nature All Around Us is an unprecendented field guide to the ecology of the urban environment that invites us to look at our towns, cities, and even our backyards through the eyes of an ecologist"--Provided by publisher.

Avian Ecology and Conservation in an Urbanizing World

Author : John M. Marzluff,Reed Bowman,Roarke Donnelly
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 581 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781461515319

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Avian Ecology and Conservation in an Urbanizing World by John M. Marzluff,Reed Bowman,Roarke Donnelly Pdf

One of the most striking and persistent ways humans dominate Earth is by changing land-cover as we settle a region. Much of our ecological understanding about this process comes from studies of birds, yet the existing literature is scattered, mostly decades old, and rarely synthesized or standardized. The twenty-seven contributions authored by leaders in the fields of avian and urban ecology present a unique summary of current research on birds in settled environments ranging from wildlands to exurban, rural to urban. Ecologists, land managers, wildlife managers, evolutionary ecologists, urban planners, landscape architects, and conservation biologists will find our information useful because we address the conservation and evolutionary implications of urban life from an ecological and planning perspective. Graduate students in these fields also will find the volume to be a useful summary and synthesis of current research, extant literature, and prescriptions for future work. All interested in human-driven land-cover changes will benefit from a perusal of this book because we present high altitude photographs of each study area.

Evolutionary Theory

Author : Niles Eldredge,Telmo Pievani,Emanuele Serrelli,Ilya Tëmkin
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 394 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2016-09-23
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226426198

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Evolutionary Theory by Niles Eldredge,Telmo Pievani,Emanuele Serrelli,Ilya Tëmkin Pdf

The natural world is infinitely complex and hierarchically structured, with smaller units forming the components of progressively larger systems: molecules make up cells, cells comprise tissues and organs that are, in turn, parts of individual organisms, which are united into populations and integrated into yet more encompassing ecosystems. In the face of such awe-inspiring complexity, there is a need for a comprehensive, non-reductionist evolutionary theory. Having emerged at the crossroads of paleobiology, genetics, and developmental biology, the hierarchical approach to evolution provides a unifying perspective on the natural world and offers an operational framework for scientists seeking to understand the way complex biological systems work and evolve. Coedited by one of the founders of hierarchy theory and featuring a diverse and renowned group of contributors, this volume provides an integrated, comprehensive, cutting-edge introduction to the hierarchy theory of evolution. From sweeping historical reviews to philosophical pieces, theoretical essays, and strictly empirical chapters, it reveals hierarchy theory as a vibrant field of scientific enterprise that holds promise for unification across the life sciences and offers new venues of empirical and theoretical research. Stretching from molecules to the biosphere, hierarchy theory aims to provide an all-encompassing understanding of evolution and—with this first collection devoted entirely to the concept—will help make transparent the fundamental patterns that propel living systems.

Understanding Urban Ecology

Author : Myrna H. P. Hall,Stephen B. Balogh
Publisher : Springer
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2019-04-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783030112592

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Understanding Urban Ecology by Myrna H. P. Hall,Stephen B. Balogh Pdf

Over half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas. Few who live in cities understand that cities, too, are ecosystems, as beholden to the laws and principles of ecology as are natural ecosystems. Understanding Urban Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Systems Approach introduces students at the college undergraduate level, or those in advanced-standing college credit high school courses, to cities as ecosystems. For graduate students it provides an overview and rich literature base. Urban planners, educators, and decision makers can use this book to help in designing a more sustainable or “green” future. The authors use a systems approach to explore the complexity and interactions of different components of a city’s ecology with an emphasis on the energy and materials required to maintain such concentrated centers of human activity and consumption. The book is written by seventeen specialized contributors and includes ten accompanying detailed field exercises to promote hands-on experience, observation, and quantification of urban ecosystem structure and function.The chapters describe one by one the different subsystems of the urban environment, their individual components and functions, and the interactions among them that create the social-ecological environments in which we live. The book’s emphasis on social-ecological metabolism provides students with the knowledge and methods needed to evaluate proposed policies for urban sustainability in terms of ecosystem capacity, potential positive and negative feedbacks, the laws of thermo-dynamics, and socio-cultural perception and adaptability.

The Oxford Handbook of Evolution, Biology, and Society

Author : Rosemary Lynn Hopcroft
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 705 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2018
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780190299323

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The Oxford Handbook of Evolution, Biology, and Society by Rosemary Lynn Hopcroft Pdf

This book contains an overview of research on the interaction of biological and sociological processes. Issues explored include: the origins of social solidarity; religious beliefs; sex differences; gender inequality; human happiness; social stratification and inequality; identity, status, and other group processes; race, ethnicity, and discrimination; fertility and family processes; crime and deviance; cultural and social change.

Urban Ecosystems

Author : Frederick R. Adler,Colby J. Tanner
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 357 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2013-04-25
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781107244290

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Urban Ecosystems by Frederick R. Adler,Colby J. Tanner Pdf

As humans have come to dominate the earth, the ideal of studying and teaching ecology in pristine ecosystems has become impossible to achieve. Our planet is now a mosaic of ecosystems ranging from the relatively undisturbed to the completely built, with the majority of people living in urban environments. This accessible introduction to the principles of urban ecology provides students with the tools they need to understand these increasingly important urban ecosystems. It builds upon the themes of habitat modification and resource use to demonstrate how multiple ecological processes interact in cities and how human activity initiates chains of unpredictable unintended ecological consequences. Broad principles are supported throughout by detailed examples from around the world and a comprehensive list of readings from the primary literature. Questions, exercises and laboratories at the end of each chapter encourage discussion, hands-on study, active learning, and engagement with the world outside the classroom window.

Serpentine

Author : Susan Harrison,Nishanta Rajakaruna
Publisher : Univ of California Press
Page : 461 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2011-02-02
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780520948457

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Serpentine by Susan Harrison,Nishanta Rajakaruna Pdf

Serpentine soils have long fascinated biologists for the specialized floras they support and the challenges they pose to plant survival and growth. This volume focuses on what scientists have learned about major questions in earth history, evolution, ecology, conservation, and restoration from the study of serpentine areas, especially in California. Results from molecular studies offer insight into evolutionary patterns, while new ecological research examines both species and communities. Serpentine highlights research whose breadth provides context and fresh insights into the evolution and ecology of stressful environments.