This American Rodent's Life in the City Has Left It with Smaller Teeth

NRC Handelsblad

Lean Left

Factuality

Ownership

In pictures: Every week a remarkable image of a scientific event. This week: changing skulls. The ‘eastern chipmunk’ is…

geo

Factuality

Ownership

For rodents, living together with people in the city is a challenge. However, striped squirrels and voles have evolved evolutionaryly within a very short period of time.Forests give way to asphalt, high-rise buildings grow on meadows and pastures, bird chirping is swallowed by engine noise: Man has changed the face of our planet – in a rapid and irrevocable manner. Thus, he has not only transformed his own habitat, but also the natural habitat o…

scinexx.de

Factuality

Ownership

Evolution in rapid transit: Some urban animals have also adapted anatomically to life in our metropolises. Among other things, the skulls of striped squirrels and voles in Chicago have changed significantly over the past 125 years – apparently as a reaction to urban life. As researchers have found out, the skulls of the striped squirrels have become larger and "toothless", while parts of the inner ear have shrunk in voles. But what purpose do th…