Scientists from the University of Toronto have discovered that urbanization has now become the main driver of evolution on Earth. The research was published in the journal Science.
In a massive project involving 287 scientists from 160 cities in 26 countries, researchers examined how urbanization (the growth of cities) affects evolution on a global scale. His work used white clover as a model (Trifolium repens) is an herb native to Europe and Western Asia, but is found in cities around the world.
After collecting more than 110,000 samples, they found that whatever the climate, alfalfa in one city now looks more like alfalfa in a city on the other side of the world than alfalfa found in nearby farmland or forests. While it is clear that worldwide urbanization has many similarities, it was not previously known to push evolution in the same direction.
By 2030, the amount of urbanized land is expected to triple compared to 2000. Research can help protect some of the world’s most endangered species, mitigate the impact of pests and improve human well-being.