For the plant ah ah. Busy in a lot of ways you can think of cities as. Busy one of the largest unplanned experiments of all time. Mm that these are places we call them extreme heavy. Thats really there are places where there is a lot of opportunity. And at the same time, theres also challenges as our cities sprint, how will nature respond . Will plants and animals dwindle, or will they adapt to up in my life . And what kind of new interactions will we see in the city . In the historic french town of, ill be biologist frederick song to keep an eye on his catfish. In 1983 fishermen released these Eastern European fish into the river time to day there at the top of the rivers food chain. Where you seduce i spotted on to buff. This is the fascinating species because we know so little about them. There are many myths that people believe even that they eat dogs. They are many stories like this yank, or you could just walk. The biologist is interested in the behavior of the large fish that circled the reservoir basins on 5th, on a, to kentucky. But we work with fishermen to tag the fish and follow they contacted us after observing very strange behavior in the fish here salvage conflict along it, cause you see ill be the man my landscape at the city, fosters new encounters between species. Lee, buell ease, latigion, have never had to face predators from the water level gallant 8th. Instead, they scanned the sky for birds of prey. Egan, you see the pigeons approached the water to bathe and drink sometimes about misses the narrow strip of safe ground and touches down in open water of it with your the catfish dont really see the page in some fit. But once they sense the Birds Movement in the water with their barble silly fuel, then they strike. I should author, the scientists observed the comp, pitches new hunting tactic for the 1st time in 2010. In l. B. Pigeons are no longer safe on the water. The city is bringing together new predators and pray ah, for some catfish here, pigeons now account for up to 40 per cent of their prey. Theyre suddenly this ecological interaction, which allows for evolution to start to improve the board catching ability of the catch fish and also to improve the escape ability of the pension. So you can expect that all these new interactions are also causing new evolutionary dynamics. Dont, evolutionary biologist, minnow, shell 1000 researches the adaptation of wildlife to the city. Darwins theory he believes, has gone up and ah, ebony pollution is evolutionary change. So really genetic change in wild animals and plants in cities. Its all about understanding how species will be able to survive in this very human dominated context cities, a homo sapiens, most extreme intervention in nature with concrete and steel. We create new landscapes and alter the face of the of. Ready already, most people live in cities rather than in the countryside. How does this influence evolution, the development of new species . What selection pressures does the city create . A summer evening in the dodge capital amsterdam in the fall, dell park in the center of the city biologist, men oh, shoot. Hows him . Uses a light trap to catch insects. Oh, hes leading a Citizen Science project to explore urban nature. O. 4 insects. And for some smaller plans, the diversity today in cities seems to be higher than in intensively managed agricultural area. Today, Agricultural Land is so intensively managed and every last bit of production is squeezed out of every square meter of surface area that theres no space for nature anymore in the countryside. And at the same time, cities get more, they get greener, people pay more attention to nature and to and to urban nature. So its actually becoming a very rich environment with, with a higher by diversity than outside of the c o. M. We are rapidly losing bio diversity, both within and outside and it is for insect the declines are particularly severe. Ah, in this way sounds me a zurich, scientific, fully an ultimate set up his light trust. Ever since humans began to light up the night, millions of nocturnal insects have been dying off every year. And its all for a species like this, being attracted by light is problematic, because then its confused. The few short days it has is a month to lags. Come Light Pollution is one of the major trends demands. Scientists are even going, is found to describe it as an insect apocalypse. Thank you. Yes, i think for the clients we are seeing now are already quite worried. Aqua studies show a 60 to 80 per cent, declined in bio mass hiv i sometimes even a nature reserves becoming that these are incredibly large numbers, slavish or sit solid. In my childhood i used to observe much like these somebody called and i would set up this trap next to my parents house and attract months. Maxine, quite large numbers them, but today i would probably not find many of them. Often i, you know, start to hit solemn thought with the choice. What is an issue that we live in but might in fact be capable of adapting to life in the perpetual night of us. It is florian ultimate wanted to find out his test, subject the spindle ermine, moth whose caterpillars develop on the european spindle tree. Yeah, thats what i actually, it was a coincidence. While i was working on my ph. D thesis. Every day i walked through a park that had these european spindle bushes. And i noticed that with these caterpillars, these moths, which must have lived there for years, are in a city park with permanent Light Pollution intended for smoked some east. I thought i could just collect them, raise them, i, and test how much the adult mots are attracted by light. Medium clocked way at informally. With his experiments in 2006 altamont pioneered research into urban evolution. He released the moths in a darkened room. The next morning he counted how many had flown into the light tramp . It gave his yvonne, the results showed a difference about 20 percent fewer urban lots had flown into the tramp all throughout from state dish around. Wouldnt all he looked which was very brushed or that month i was very surprised concurrent, and it was widely known that mots are attracted by lights. Some more than others, one proceed about him. These differences have always been observed between different species in the hall, seeing variations within a single species that weve never seen before or bought it. The experiment clearly demonstrated an hereditary adaptation to life in the city. Direct proof of, of an evolution. For dont biologist, men oh, shall 1000 to findings confirm a larger picture in amsterdam. He and his group of citizen scientists debate whether we might soon observe even more and greater adaptations of animals and plants to the city. Ready ready we see that evolutionary processes are starting which will eventually or who eventually produce new theses that are specialized on living in the city amino. Shell thompson, its not if, but when every organism that lives in the city will show this urban evolution, these rapid changes in their behavior, in their physiology, in their appearances, to optimize their life in an urban environment. But wont ellamin suburban landscapes prompt wildlife to adapt evolutionary biologists. Jason monkeys, south is an expert on animals found in the parks of new york. For years, he has been studying how rodents adapt to the city. Along with human immigrants from europe, rats also voyage to the new world. Today they roamed the city in subway tunnel town. This distinction sparked the scientists interest. I used to be a tropical biologist, but then i moved to new york city for my 1st academic job. After graduate school and i decided i wanted to do some local work that would be interesting to the people of new york city and to my eyes out. And i, i found out that there was a small mammal living in the sense, the islands of boris and video, but doesnt thing nobodys really ever looked at these. Are they becoming jagged, different from mice outside the city . Are they adapting thats out all started. Central park opened in 18. 73. Its still host animal species that lived here long before the city was built. Right now were in the middle of central park. Were going to be traveling to the north end of the park where theres a very nice for, its called the northwood and there will be setting out traps hopefully to capture white put it my one of the things that inspired me when i 1st started this work is if you look at a new york city, subway map, you see the subway lines. Then there are these large green shapes, rectangles and ovals, and so forth, that are the, the park lands. And they put those on the map so you know where they are. But you also see that they are almost like a chain of islands that are scattered in the sea of concrete and roads and buildings, and 8 and a half 1000000 people. So in a sense, if its a species like a mouse that cant leave the forest cross neighborhoods and buildings and roads and make it to the other patch. It is essentially the same biologically as if they were on an island in terms of them not being able to move and spread their genes with the other patches. And these urban patches, once they become sufficiently isolated, operate like a mini galapagos and may be driving the evolution of many species that are stuck there. Now, the evolutionary biologists investigating whether the white footed mice actually develop indistinct ways in each of the various palms. Would be a really nice spot for white, for the might. They like to move next to log, so theyre not completely out in the open. They might actually even be living inside this log where its rotting or in holes underneath the log. So this is pretty much the ideal spot. These forest is encircled by the big apple. Have the mice already adapted to this unique environment . What traits do they need to survive here . No shortage of good trapping spots. Later ill be going to one of our more suburban almost rural sites. With the larger, more intact forests, less urban to zation. And ill be setting out, you know, an equal number of traps. So the hope that we catch mice there as well. Jason mankey south will search within the animals genetic codes for the marcus of life in the big city. Oh, i think whats been most interesting to me is thinking about how the things that were all doing in our daily lives, where we put our garbage, what were choosing to eat and what we generate is ways where we choose to live, how we choose to go to work or how to restaurant or something. All of these things were doing are now influencing other species in a way that were just starting to understand it. But its not only animals that adapt to human intervention in the natural world. Plans to the same in southern france, the yellow flowered cramp his sanctum is being studied by biologist pierre. Only be a ship to keep you. So does the news crept this song to is a very common species in the mediterranean regions, a kind of mediterranean dandelion from the same family from you. And its essential advantage as a model is that it produces 2 types of seeds would read the large ones and small ones and dig. Also, the small wild flower produces both lighter seats with parachutes, allowing them to glide and heavy. A seeds that simply fall to the ground. Measurement of us. Ooh, im interested in the process of adaptation to an urban environment. And in particular, what happens when a species 1st arrives in the city . It is recently colonized certain areas of montpelier. In my comparison between rural and urban populations, i focus on the traits related to seeds. Lee, thank you again. Oh, the idea of studying the adaptation of the plant to the city came to ship to almost by chance. When he came back from abroad, he noticed the inconspicuous flowers growing in the city, aid of japan, moiety nija. I left montreal in the middle of a blizzard dodge. I took the plain for paris. Even then i took the bus to downtown, well kill ye. Where it was sunny with a Clear Blue Sky is oh, of young also. And then i noticed there were crap as sunk to flowers everywhere in those tiny urban patches. And suddenly it struck me that there was something to figure out here demila, but i didnt yet know exactly what miss lucy youngs weak. Because actually the crap, his sanctum thrives in rural areas and not in the asphalt deserts of the city. Lead to me not me, not over the predominant component in cities, especially in european cities, is concrete teacher in concrete, exerts a powerful, fragmenting force on the habitats of plants to police. They have to survive in many by a tow facility only puts a beat up. Sometimes the cities constraints on a plans, habitat can be extreme. How will evolution respond . Also schema domestic. Im looking at how urban fragmentation will modify the dispersal traits of the species as best i expect plans that produce more of the larger seeds will be more successful at reproduction in urban areas than they would be in the open country. Oh, the heaviest seeds are less likely to be swept onto the asphalt. And indeed the biologists discovered that far more plants in the city produced the heavier seeds and are thus better able to survive a difference of 15 percent. But what stands out most is the speed of this adaptation infected and were sure the evelyn and weve seen, has taken about 15 years. This is extremely brief. It was the 1st demonstration of such a rapid evolution of sea traits for plants. And this is due to the highly fragmented composition of the urban environment to lol. Gilba it, did you talk about the exciting genetic changes occurring at such a rate of long been considered unlikely even impossible by science or i think i would have been amazed by the, the fastness by which these changes take place. He was, it was sort of underestimating the power of Natural Selection himself. He said that you never see any of these changes in progress. You cannot actually observed that. You can only reduce them from the fossil from the patterns that you see in nature. You said that the reaction is too slow to see it happening in real time and effect that now today, especially in cities, we see these changes taking place under our eyes in the streets where we live right around us. I think darwin would have been thrilled. But what if man made pollutants substantially distort the biochemistry of organisms in the 1970s, the water New Bedford Harbor, the boston was severely polluted with p. C. Bs. The u. S. Environmental protection agency. Wanted to know just how bad the pollution really was. The original focus was on what must be wrong with all the fish that live in that harbor because of the toxic chemicals. Instead, we came here looking, trying to understand what must be right about those fish that could survive here. Mm. So theyve become a natural experiment for us to study how animals can adapt to toxic human made pollutants. Terrific, just what were looking for. Lets get him into a net. Bring him back to the lap. Diane, not, she had the Environmental Protection agency lab in narragansett, rhode island in that reading facility. The scientists, one to unravel the mechanism that allows this population of kili fish species to survive in the p. C. B polluted water of New Bedford Harbor. So lets see if they left any eggs flora, they planned to compare eggs from the new bedford hob, a fish with those of a fish population from a clean a site. Oh, lets start a test and see what they do when we expose them to chemical. These killy fish species occurs all along the north American Atlantic coast. The killy fish has been a favorite of biology literally for centuries at they are quite common. They are non migratory, so they reflect their local environment. And each population is unique, in that it is genetically different. It is adapted to its local environment. So it gives us opportunity for lots of studies. The researchers need to observe the development of the fish embryos in the ag, in order to understand at which stages the environmental talks and disrupt the animals, biochemistry or not. Ah, so well look at the rate at which the embryo is developed in certain features that we know that p. C. Bees can disturb, like a Proper Development of the heart. Evidence of Proper Development of the circulatory system and proper body side. Mm. Why, of these particular fish able to resist deadly in her mental talk sense . What are the factors that allow individual species to adapt to the city . All parallel developments taking place in cities wild white. At the university of toronto, mississauga, evolutionary biologist, mark johnson, pursues these questions in a lot of ways, you can think of cities as one of the largest unplanned experiments of all time. The problem is, is theres very few organisms where you could study annotation to urban environments. On a global scale and white clover is one of those very few organisms where you can actually do that. So now this then becomes the model to understand whether organisms in general can adapt to the convergent environmental change. So she was cities throughout the world. Research is across the globe by walking together. In this study, evolutionary biologist, stephan guyana, and his team are collecting the white clover in berlin. In cities, the plant face is a different habitat temperatures a higher than in the suburbs and the countryside was manhattan. Khan is the same. What you can expect is that as humans creates new environmental conditions, my full adapt and to be able to showed up on a global scale, thats a real scientific benefit. And that is why were dedicating a free time to this project runs on, filed them as they proceed from the countryside to the city center of berlin, ghana and his team collect specimens at 35 locations. This gives them a sufficiently broad range of data to compare with that of other global cit is they find our final samples at the foot of the Television Tower spot. Thats it all done in all we have a 168 cities right now and over 250. 00 collaborators all working on the same project together. Theres never been a collaborative project on evolutionary biology of this scale. And so this is the largest collaborative project in evolutionary biology ever. So is clover developing in the same way all over the world, into a kind of global citi. Clover from the vast set of data. The research is hope to find an answer in the grounds of a research institute, north of new york geneticist, jason mankey south wants to catch white footed mice to compare that dna with that of those in the city. But its not easy. Ready okay, ah ah, so this is a trap that was opened, it didnt catch anything. Obviously thats a tone that it was a maps day for me while i think youre really surprised that almost every park was different from every other park. Its always to the point where you could take a mouse from one park, give it to our lab, and we could just look at a small segment of his genome and tell you where its it came from. Thats how much they had changed just randomly over time from being isolated. And thats when we started our current studies looking at, you know, over 20000 genes to see what genes and potentially what functions change when they adapt to living in, inside of new york city. Ah, theres one, the 1st white fitted math of the day with a new study jason mankey south and his team have already caught more than 100 mice. And to analyze that genetic compositions, they try to take their samples as gently as possible, so as not to hurt the animals. Mm hm. We take a jack sample in this case, we will be using this small tool. Its like a paper punched, but for tissue and i, we store that for genetic analysis and we want to be able to tie that tissue sample to a location because thats important for understanding how they vary when theyre in a more urban or less urban population. So now theyre pretty m o, well this is a male. This young male i why dont we take the air punch and well start on the other one ah, isnt suitable for comprehensive genetic analysis. So the researchers take a tissue sample from the ear. Ah, yeah, you got something. After collecting the samples and some measurements of the scientists release, the mice. Genetic analysis can reveal the evolutionary trajectories of the mice. There we go. They point to a variety of physical and Behavioral Changes spreading among the animals. Each of them unique to the challenges of each city park environment. So were starting to fill in our gradient really nicely. Ok, so here are the mice we have today from the color center. And you can see its right in between highly urbanized new york city and then all these sites we have up here and one out here. So central park seems to be our most distinct population to date. It makes sense. Yeah, yeah. Most urban, probably the most isolated. So if he took a mouse from central park, some of its scenes will be different from mouth outside in the countryside, in a big park some way. So for this one, particularly the food supply in central park and much of a human food waste might have triggered a genetic response in the city near central park. So what weve learned so far is that one set of genes that are changing in the city have to do with metabolism. So these white food of mice are eating things and they have to digest them and assimilate the nutrients. And we know its absolution because a heritable change in dna sequences evolution central talk my seem to have genetically altered their metabolism to better digest fast food in res, several like broader questions about what we are doing as a species, as we modify the earth habitat for our needs, how are we changing the future of other species . Not only affecting them, but were changing what they will become in the future. Ah. Again said diane, nazi and her team are investigating how the different fish embryos exposed to the toxic p. C. B. s have developed high going really well. So this is the study thats comparing scores creek and New Bedford Harbor experts to p c b 126. 00. So this one is the group that was treated with p cds and also from the clean site creek. And as you can see, that you have had a pretty dramatic effect on the development, which is what we expect with these very toxic chemicals. Yeah, and in my experience, when i see this, this constellation of anomalies, its absolutely lethal. Theres no way that an animal would even hatch, nevermind, survive after hatching. If the heart is not functional and the blood is essentially not circulating around the body. So lets take a look at that biochemical end point to see if they are also responsive. Ok at the biochemical level, using a special contrast agent. The scientists can trace enzyme activity in the on hatched fash. So you can see that the the substrate is. B flossing in the bladder showing that this enzyme system is working and were, were getting the expected metabolites of water. Thats a very dramatic demonstration of enzyme activity in a living organism. The active enzymes in the fish embryo reveal how the organism tries to break down the thompson, but perishes in the process. Then the team observes how the offspring of the fish from new Bedford Harbour have developed. Ok, so these are fish from New Bedford Harbor that were exposed to the same level of p c. B that we were just looking at. As you can see what this embryo doesnt seem to have any effect, the heart is still beating normally and healthy. And its developed really well. Now, looks like an embryo thats about ready to hatch. Some of them actually already patch these fish should be dead poison by one of the most lethal environmental toxins. But life, it seems, has found away. One thing we know about this class of chemicals is that in all vertebrates, clothing people the, it turns on a certain enzyme pathway. So a normally responsive person, or in this case a fish should have that enzyme system turned on. If they were exposed to p. C, b the contrast enhanced image shows how the n times that normally respond to the talked in remain silent. So in this case, i see very little thats glowing, bright kelly fish from New Bedford Harbor have changed their metabolism. The poison can no longer honda, but which genetic modifications lead to the fishes toxin resistance. Thats why geneticist ma com of the woods whole Oceanographic Institute wants to find out. Could this be a key to understanding how nature might resist human interference. Ready in that of our tree, he uses the crisper cast method. Its an incredibly powerful way to modify the genetics of an experimental fish like this to ask questions about the roles of certain genes. And in fact, the roles of even single amino acids in the protein can be investigated with this crisper task. To test their assumptions about the resistant kelly fish market and his team experiment with their profession. I want to find out exactly what are the changes in those genes and to be able to actually 0 in on the specific molecular changes that are responsible for the resistance. And to be able to recreate that in the laboratory, to actually prove that thats the mechanism of resistance there. Inserting portions of dna taken from the resistant killing, fish into embryos of separate fish. Mine, you all, you good. Which ones are the injecting a p exxon to com and his colleague neil neutral are using the most up to date genetic engineering make. So here we are interested to steady a function of g known as a p. So we are trying to delete this gene in this particular species and then tried to steady on the function of this t. And ive read that that will audited that assistance to p. C. B. With these experiments, science is venturing deep into the source code of creation. The scientists believe this research could yield the secret of lifes ability to adapt to the most extreme conditions. And this knowledge could also help other creatures to adapt and survive in a rapidly changing world. Ah, i think we will understand the extent to which we can extrapolate our knowledge from the kill a fish system out beyond to other fish and even other vertebrates. So a broader understanding of the toxicology of pollutants and how that will impact the natural world. How we can understand what will be the most vulnerable species. At the Max Planck Institute in potsdam, the Research Team processes the clover samples from alan. Theyre going to find cyanide clever plants that produce cyanide, a better protected against predators, but are less able to tolerate cold its warmer in city centers. So this clover might be more common that this isnt a glass, is a qualitative test yet by isnt, i mean we used to indirectly detect a specific gene that generates the cyanide does come out your different lot. When you look like theyre both, were allowing them that you would have to do that yet. Theyre both still role, role dyna and his team send their results and other clovers specimens to mom johnson in his toronto lamb. Mm again, hows it going . Good peter. How did that extractions of this year . Yeah, so remind me this is berlin and buenos aris. The team prepares the clover for gene sequencing, but the cyanide values taken by the team and germany show whether the clover has adapted to an up and existence already. Okay, beta, did we get the data from berlin . Yes, we did. Okay, the screen here, it is so great. Thank james. Have you had a chance to look at the data from berlin . So we can understand how the environments changing from downtown berlin through the suburbs in the rural areas. Got it. All right, so lets take a look at so berlins one of the, the cities where we see why clover adapting to urban real gradients. Yeah, nice. And so now were at about 33 percent of cities where, why clover adapts. Huh. But yeah, fair enough about that. Okay. So then next i think what were gonna have to do is figure out what are the drivers, the environmental drivers of this adaptation. So thats really cool. In berlin plans from the city center, a more likely to produce cyanide as is the case. And a 3rd of the cities surveyed so far an indication of parallel evolution me. Some of the preliminary insights are, are fascinating. So it really looks like, regardless of where you are in the world, whether youre in europe, north america, japan, china, australia, you zealand. We see the ability for this humble white clover to dat, to these cities in the warmth of the city sinai producing clover stance, a better chance of survival on to survive in the city. All organisms must adapt to higher temperatures. What scientists cool, heat islands and cities, humans and their machinery creates a lot of heat. And we have a bubble of hot air in large cities in a city of more than a 1000000 people can be 78 Degrees South celsius halter in the center of the city than outside of the city. With this men, oh shoot. 1000 believes now it also influences the evolution of the white lipped snail. There shells coming many shades from brown to pale yellow. A single gene determines the color. So they can basically carry their genes on their back. The shell color determines the internal temperature of the snail to some extent, the difference in temperature inside can be 2 degrees under the same conditions. And that could be just a difference between life or death on a hot summer day. And you know, it was 40 degrees in amsterdam a few weeks ago. It could be that some of these yellow snails survived, but many of the brown ones died because they got to health, they overheated and they died. But well, the statistics support this hypothesis or so the plan is now to, to just add some data through the dataset. So left gotten me in order to collect and evaluate as many snails as possible throughout europe memo. Shell, hows him is helped by volunteers. You know, you dont have to go through the galapagos to study evolution or become a part paleontologist. Its happening everywhere all the time. Its a continuous, very normal biological process. The group only finds a few snails, but even empty. Now shells can also provide data that photographs and added to the database with an app that anyone can install on my mobile phone. Ah, if were looking at the adaptations of urban animals and plants to the urban heat islands, which of course is happening has been happening more rapidly than Global Climate change. We can probably predict whats going to happen globally in response to Climate Change up and eyes ation. And Climate Change pose a threat to all plant and animal species, including the Monarch Butterfly which gather in millions in the forests of mexico. Every october. Theyve completed a 5000 kilometer journey to that Winter Quarters and increasingly perilous odyssey for the insects lindsay miles studies the butterflies in toronto. Monarch butterflies are these really great insect. Unfortunately, right now theyre in decline. The and the united states, theyve experienced 80 percent population decline in this Industrial Area of toronto. Monarch butterflies take a rest stop before flying on. They also take the opportunity to mate and reproduce. Really big caterpillar. This is an let that baby monarch. This ones probably a day or 2 away from that going into its chrysalis, and then becoming a Monarch Butterfly whose cool one other species had the ability to switch to other food sources. Monarch butterflies remained dependent on a single plant. I got one. Lets check it out. He found a monarch. Ah, the butterflies lay the eggs on the milkweed. Caterpillars feed exclusively on this plant. At many cities, the land on which milkweed can grow is disappearing. Unfortunately, a lot of the cities are providing these barriers. I just dont have the resources that they need. And so it would basically be if youre driving along the road and you dont have any fuel stations and you run out of gas, youre stuck. The knots, whats happening with these butter flies . Not all species can adapt as our cities continue to expand, accommodating wild life might be crucial how we shape our cities in the future may prove decisive for the course of life on earth. Biodiversity helps us with the food that we eat. It helps us with the air that we breathe. So if we continue along the path that we have many different populations including human populations, well start to crash. Urban evolution can help us design green cities in a darwinian way. As humans become more urban, we have the potential to, you know, allow some spaces to live in the city and adapt to our cities. But then put less pressure on the other habitats which allow, you know, the species that cant survive in the city to continue to thrive. Mm. Were going to see more and more the realization that we are part of nature. And thats actually probably going to help us survive. Mm mm. Mm ah. The watch on for ties, italy around 30 minutes on d, w o. B. Today, this means flying to a foreign planet. In the 16th century, it meant to mean a captain and setting sail to discover a route to the world famous sea voyage of ferdinand of magellan. Id rather erase linked to military interests, erase links to political lead to military christy, but it was sort of linked to making financial interest and adventure full of hardships, dangers and death 3 years. And that wouldnt change the world forever. But jillions journey around the world, starting september 7th on d. W. Ah. Ah, this is dw news live from berlin, a high profile killing in russia. The daughter of a russian alternation listed dies in a suspected car bomb attack. Daria dennis father alexander dugeon is an advisor to russian president Vladimir Putin report suggests he may have been the intended tar