Date: March 22, 2018
Source: University of Groningen
Summary:
Blackbirds live longer in cities
than in forests. But their telomeres, the repetitive stretches of DNA at the
ends of the chromosomes, show that these city birds have a much poorer health
status than their rural cousins. These findings from a study in five European
cities led by University of Groningen biologists were published in Biology
Letters on 21 March.
Blackbirds are a common sight in
many city gardens. The species has adapted well to this environment. 'But they
also live in their original forest areas, which makes them ideal candidates for
a study of the effect of city life on health', says University of Groningen
postdoc Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo. He travelled to Granada, Seville, Madrid,
Dijon and Turku to obtain blood samples from blackbirds in these cities and the
adjacent rural areas.
No comments:
Post a Comment