Why do Some Species Thrive in Cities?

Urban development can be tough on wildlife. But some plants and animals are adapting to our cities in surprising ways.
Thanks to squarespace.com for supporting this video. Go build a website! (use your 10% discount code: EARTH)
Thanks also to our Patreon patrons:
- Emil Kampp
- @TodayIFoundOut1
- @AntoineCoeur
Please support MinuteEarth on Patreon:
And subscribe! -
________________________
Created by Henry Reich
Production and Writing Team: Alex Reich, Peter Reich, Emily Elert, Ever Salazar, Kate Yoshida, and Henry Reich
Music by Nathaniel Schroeder:
________________________
Free iTunes podcasts of MinuteEarth! -
Facebook -
Twitter -
MinuteEarth provides an energetic and entertaining view of trends in earth’s environment – in just a few minutes!
________________________
References:
Cheptou, P., Carrue, O., Rouifed, S., and Cantarel, A. (2008) Rapid evolution of seed dispersal in an urban environment in the weed Crepis sancta. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109: 3796–9.
DeCandido, R., Muir, A.A., & Gargiullo, M.B. (2004) A first approximation of the historical and extant vascular flora of New York City: implications for native plant species conservation. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 131:243–251.
Donihue, C.M., and Lambert, M.R. 2014. Adaptive evolution in urban ecosystems, AMBIO 44(3): 194-203.
Fattorini, S. (2011) Insect extinction by urbanization: a long term study in Rome. Biological Conservation 144:370–375.
Harris, S.E., Munshi-South, J., Obergfell, C., & O’Neill, R. (2013) Signatures of rapid evolution in urban and rural transcriptomes of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in the New York metropolitan area. PLoS One 8(8):e74938.
Tait, C.J., Daniels, C.B. & Hill, R.S. (2005). Changes in species assemblages within the Adelaide metropolitan area, Australia, 1836–2002. Ecology 15: 346-359. .
Wirgin, I., Roy, N.K., Loftus, M., Chambers, R.C., Franks, D.G. & Hahn, M.E., (2011) Mechanistic Basis of Resistance to PCBs in Atlantic Tomcod from the Hudson River, Science 331(6022): 1322-1325.
White Footed Mouse photo by Melinda Fawver / Courtesy Shutterstock