Megan Thompson (Ökologie und Evolution, University of Edinburgh)

»Phenotypic DiverCity: Continental collaborations and common garden birds«

Some of the most striking examples of phenotypic change occur along urbanization gradients, such as urban divergence in multiple taxa towards smaller average body sizes. However, it remains largely unknown whether: 1) urbanization affects phenotypic variance in wild populations and 2) urban phenotypic shifts are driven by evolutionary change (i.e., genetic variation). In my talk I will address these gaps by first presenting results from meta- and mega-analyses showing that urbanization can increase phenotypic diversity in bird populations. I will then present results from a common garden experiment that provide trait-specific evidence of evolution in urban great tits. Finally, I will present recent results that examine interactions between urbanization and climate change on the phenological responses of tit populations across Europe.

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