Use of anthropogenic landscapes in a wild Columba livia (Rock Dove) population
<p>Despite the role of many domestic animals as model organisms, our understanding of their undomesticated conspecifics is comparatively poor. This limits our ability to infer the eco-evolutionary context of phenomena studied in the laboratory and to explore domestication. The domestic pigeon’...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2024
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| Summary: | <p>Despite the role of many domestic animals as model organisms, our understanding of their undomesticated conspecifics is comparatively poor. This limits our ability to infer the eco-evolutionary context of phenomena studied in the laboratory and to explore domestication. The domestic pigeon’s wild form is the Rock Dove (<em>Columba livia</em>). By studying 5 global positioning system–tagged wild Rock Doves in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, we present the first individual-level assessment of undomesticated Rock Dove movements, revealing extensive use of anthropogenic habitats in both a roosting and foraging context. This association with humans provides tantalizing opportunities for research into the pre-domestication human–pigeon relationship. More generally, this work highlights the value of researching laboratory model species in nature.</p> |
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