Behavioral plasticity can facilitate evolution in urban environments. (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Caspi, Tal; Johnson, Jacob R.; Lambert, Max R.; Schell, Christopher J.; Sih, Andrew
• Is Part Of: Trends in ecology & evolution. Volume 37:Number 12(2022)
• Page Start: 1092
• Page End: 1103
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: plasticity-led evolution -- animal personality -- behavioral drive -- evolutionary divergence -- urbanization; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution (Biology) -- Periodicals; 576.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.08.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0169-5347

Abstract

Abstract : Plasticity-led evolution is central to evolutionary theory. Although challenging to study in nature, this process may be particularly apparent in novel environments such as cities. We document abundant evidence of plastic behavioral changes in urban animals, including learning, contextual, developmental, and transgenerational plasticities. Using behavioral drive as a conceptual framework, our analysis of notable case studies suggests that plastic behaviors, such as altered habitat use, migration, diurnal and seasonal activity, and courtship, can have faciliatory and cascading effects on urban evolution via spatial, temporal, and mate-choice mechanisms. Our findings highlight (i) the need to incorporate behavioral plasticity more formally into urban evolutionary research and (ii) the opportunity provided by urban environments to study behavioral mechanisms of plasticity-led processes. Highlights: Urbanization elicits diverse plastic behavioral responses in animals, which may lead to rapid evolutionary changes. Behavioral shifts in city-living animals can drive evolutionary divergence in populations at different scales through several spatial, temporal, and mate-choice mechanisms. Behavioral drivers of divergence are present in adaptive, neutral, and maladaptive contexts. Divergence may occur at urban-nonurban, within-city, and across-city scales. Cities provide biologists with a unique opportunity to enhance understanding of how plastic behaviors can precede and guide evolutionary change.