Urban Evolution: How City Life is Reshaping Animal Behaviour, Physiology, and Genetics
Abstract: Cities are changing the way animals and plants live, forcing species to adapt at a pace far faster than traditional evolutionary timelines would predict. This paper examines how urban environments drive rapid shifts in feeding behaviour, stress physiology, and daily activity patterns across six species: the American White Ibis, Common Ragweed, Dark-eyed Junco, wild urban rodents, the Common Blackbird, and urban pigeons. Evidence is drawn from peer-reviewed studies across three thematic areas: food and resource acquisition, stress tolerance, and behavioural adaptation. Findings reveal consistent cross-species patterns- urban animals tend to exploit human food sources, habituate to anthropogenic stressors, and adjust activity timing in response to artificial lighting and noise. These changes can emerge within as few as three to five generations, suggesting that cities act as powerful agents of natural selection. The paper argues that urban evolution is not an exception to evolutionary principles but an accelerated expression of them.
Keywords: urban evolution, behavioural adaptation, stress physiology, HPA axis, anthropogenic change, natural selection, urban ecology
How to Cite?: Tejas Motaparthy, "Urban Evolution: How City Life is Reshaping Animal Behaviour, Physiology, and Genetics", Volume 15 Issue 5, May 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1829-1831, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26527182921, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26527182921