War, politics & religion shape urban wildlife

Many people imagine evolution as a slow, natural process far removed from human society.

- 

But in cities, evolution is directly influenced by human activity —and cultural forces like religion, politics, and even war are quietly reshaping the genetics of urban wildlife.

A recent global review by evolutionary biologists Marta Szulkin, Colin Garroway, and others examined how cultural practices across continents drive evolutionary changes in city-dwelling animals.

Culture leaves a mark

Urban areas dramatically change natural habitats, isolating wildlife populations and creating new environmental pressures. Over time, these changes lead to genetic shifts. For instance, when people divide landscapes — by building roads, walls, or cities — wildlife gets cut off from other groups. These isolated populations then evolve independently, a process known as genetic drift.