Continent-wide genomic signatures of adaptation to urbanisation in a songbird across Europe

Summary

This comparative genomic study examined 192 great tits from nine paired urban–rural sites across Europe to elucidate the genetic basis of urban adaptation in wild songbirds. The authors identified a combination of polygenic shifts and recurrent selective sweeps, predominantly in behaviour-linked genes involved in neural function and development, suggesting that urban adaptation occurs through both shared selective pressures on specific genes and population-specific genetic variants. The findings advance understanding of the genomic architecture underlying phenotypic responses to rapid environmental change.

Regional applicability

The study was conducted across multiple European cities and included paired rural sites, likely encompassing United Kingdom locations given the widespread distribution of great tits and the pan-European research collaboration. The findings on neural and behavioural genomics in response to urbanisation are transferable to understanding wildlife adaptation in United Kingdom urban and peri-urban environments, though population-specific sweeps suggest local selection pressures may vary.

Key measures

Genomic genotyping (192 great tit individuals), allele frequency shifts, selective sweep analysis, haplotype identification across urban and rural populations

Outcomes reported

The study identified genomic signatures of adaptation in great tits across nine European urban–rural paired sites, finding both polygenic allele frequency shifts and recurrent selective sweeps associated with urbanisation. Selective sweeps were concentrated in genes linked to neural function and development, with unique sweeps in some populations but shared genes under selection across urban sites.

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