Religion, politics and war drive urban wildlife evolution, say biologists

Legacy effects of religion, politics and war on urban evolutionary biology

Urbanization has been a defining feature of the past four centuries, with most of the global population now living in highly modified environments shared with wildlife. Traditionally, biological urban evolutionary research has focused on physical factors such as habitat fragmentation, pollution and resource availability, often overlooking the social and political forces shaping urban environments. This Review explores how religion, politics and …

War, politics and religion shape wildlife evolution in cities

A Buddhist monk in Hong Kong releases fish and chants prayers during a ceremony to free the spirits of tsunami victims. Samantha Sin/AFP via Getty ImagesPeople often consider evolution to be a process that occurs in nature in the background of human society. But evolution is not separate from human beings. In fact, human cultural practices can influence evolution in wildlife. This influence is highly pronounced in cities, where people drasticall…

Religion, politics and war drive urban wildlife evolution, say biologists

The downstream consequences of religion, politics and war can have far-reaching effects on the environment and on the evolutionary processes affecting urban organisms, according to a new analysis from Washington University in St. Louis.

Religion, Politics and War Drive Urban Wildlife Evolution

The downstream consequences of religion, politics and war can have far-reaching effects on the environment and on the evolutionary processes affecting urban organisms, according to a new analysis from Washington University in St. Louis.