Continent-wide effects of urbanization on bird and mammal genetic diversity.

ABSTRACT: Urbanization and associated environmental changes are causing global declines in vertebrate populations. In general, population declines of the magnitudes now detected should lead to reduced effective population sizes for animals living in proximity to humans and disturbed lands. This is a cause for concern because effective population sizes set the rate of genetic diversity loss due to genetic drift, the rate of increase in inbreeding and the efficiency with which selection can act on beneficial alleles. We predicted that the effects of urbanization should decrease effective population size and genetic diversity, and increase population-level genetic differentiation. To test for such patterns, we repurposed and reanalysed publicly archived genetic datasets for North American birds and mam

SUBMITTER: Schmidt C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7031673 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature