How animals and plants evolved to adapt to humans

From the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, human influence has reached every corner of the Earth. Many plants and animals are evolving to respond and adapt to a world dominated by humans, according to Guardian.

The West Indian conch tree is getting smaller

Known for its durability, rot resistance, and deep pink grain, West Indian mother-of-pearl has become a symbol of luxury. The largest trees, vital pillars of the rainforest ecosystem, are being cut down for timber, causing tree numbers to decline by more than 70% in some countries since 1970. While ancient trees have almost disappeared, West Indian motherwort is still widely distributed in many areas, according to Dr. Malin Rivers, conservation expert at Botanic Gardens Conservation International. But now, they develop in a different form. “Considered commercially extinct in many parts of its Caribbean range, this tree still exists and is even abundant in some areas. But young trees are no longer towering and will never grow until dusk.” tall in the past. West Indian hemlock trees once grew up to 20 m or more, but the trees today exist as smaller shrubs with little commercial value. When the largest trees are cut, they cannot reproduce Producing and sharing a rich gene pool helps promote height.

The magpie’s nest is built from anti-bird thorns

Bird nests built from bird-proof spikes with simple designs are not a rare sight in urban areas. But researchers found that magpies, which typically cover their dome-shaped nests with thorny shrub branches to prevent egg-stealing predators such as crows, began plucking bird-proof thorns to use in their nests. Doctoral student Auke-Florian Hiemstra found that the use of anti-bird spikes is part of a growing trend of birds using artificial materials to build their nests.

Snails have pale shells to withstand the heat in the city

Using photos of snails collected by thousands of residents in the Netherlands, researchers discovered that snails living in city centers have evolved pale shells. They say this change is a result of warming temperatures in many cities, which can be up to 8 degrees Celsius higher than rural environments. Professor Menno Schilthuizen, a Dutch evolutionary biologist, explains that snails inside dark shells often heat up more, risking death from overheating. Maybe the light shell color helps snails stay cool on the hottest summer days in the city.

Swallows have shorter wings to avoid traffic

Cliff swallows in Nebraska often nest under bridges, often being hit by passing vehicles. But long-term research published in 2013 found that the birds have adapted to the risk of being hit by a car by developing shorter wings. Short wings help them be more agile, avoiding oncoming vehicles, while birds with long wings are more likely to die, according to Mary Bomberger Brown, research team leader at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Elephants lose their tusks to deal with poachers

During the civil war in Mozambique, rampant poaching caused the number of African bush elephants to decline by more than 90% in Gorongosa National Park. The population that is recovering today is one of the most important examples of conservation globally. However, many female elephants do not have tusks, which means tuskless elephants are less likely to be targeted by poachers. Similar changes were also recorded in Tanzania. According to Tanya Smith, senior advisor at WWF UK, one adaptive response to pressure from poaching in previous decades is that the proportion of African elephants born with shorter tusks or no tusks is increasing. increase.