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urban-evolution

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Urban evolution refers to the heritable genetic changes that plant populations undergo in response to urban development and human activities. This process is significant for plant science because it reveals how plants adapt to novel environmental pressures created by urbanization, such as altered soil conditions, pollution, and habitat fragmentation. Understanding these evolutionary responses helps scientists predict plant community dynamics and develop strategies for preserving plant diversity in human-dominated landscapes.

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Rapid Evolution of Heavy Metal Tolerance in Urban Populations of Taraxacum officinale

PubMed · 2026-02-17

Urban dandelions evolved lead tolerance in just 5 generations by rapidly adapting their metal transport genes.

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Heritable tolerance in 5 generations

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Parallel selection on HMA4 genes

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Decadal-scale adaptive evolution

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