🔬 Led by Dr. Patricia Mendoza, the research provides valuable insights to inform current and future conservation actions for populations facing fragmentation and isolation—especially efforts aimed at maintaining genetically viable populations.

@mobotgarden.bsky.social @stlzoo.bsky.social

This collaborative study—between WashU Anthropology, Madagascar Flora and Fauna Group, Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, and the University of Antananarivo—explores the genetic diversity of two Critically Endangered lemur species living in two forests in Eastern Madagascar.

These examples remind us:
Human decisions don’t just impact ecosystems—they shape evolutionary futures.

If we want to understand urban biodiversity, we need to consider history, politics, and culture too.

In Los Angeles, redliningstill affects wildlife. Coyote and bobcat gene flow is lower between redlined and non-redlined areas, showing how human social history has left a biological mark. 🐾📜

Take salamanders in Spain. A religious wall separating Christian and Muslim communities also split the local fire salamander population. Over time, the two groups diverged genetically. A cultural boundary became an evolutionary one. ✝️🕌🦎

We often think of evolution as something happening "out there" in nature. But cities—steeped in history, power, and belief—are deeply shaping how animals live, move, and evolve. 🏙️🦊🧬