URBAN EVOLUTIONARY ZOOLOGY: ADAPTIVE RESPONSES OF WILDLIFE TO RAPID URBANIZATION, ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS, AND HABITAT FRAGMENTATION

Abstract

Urban environments are rapidly expanding across the globe, transforming natural landscapes into highly heterogeneous ecological systems characterized by pollution, artificial light, noise, and fragmented habitats. This transformation has created strong selective pressures that drive evolutionary and ecological changes in wildlife populations. Urban evolutionary zoology is an emerging interdisciplinary field that investigates how animals adapt morphologically, physiologically, behaviorally, and genetically to anthropogenic environments. Species persisting in cities often exhibit rapid phenotypic plasticity and, in some cases, heritable evolutionary changes within relatively short time scales. This review synthesizes current knowledge on adaptive responses of urban wildlife to environmental stressors such as habitat fragmentation, chemical pollution, thermal stress (urban heat island effect), artificial light at night (ALAN), and chronic noise exposure. It highlights evolutionary mechanisms including natural selection, gene flow restriction, genetic drift in isolated populations, and epigenetic modifications. Urban-adapted phenotypes such as altered circadian rhythms, increased boldness, modified foraging strategies, and tolerance to pollutants are discussed across vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. The review also examines how habitat fragmentation leads to population structuring and reduced genetic diversity, while simultaneously promoting local adaptation in some species. Comparative evidence from birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects is integrated to illustrate convergent evolutionary trends in urban ecosystems. Finally, the paper identifies research gaps in genomics, long-term monitoring, and predictive modeling of urban adaptation. Urban evolutionary zoology provides critical insights into biodiversity conservation, ecosystem resilience, and future wildlife management strategies in increasingly urbanized landscapes.