Wildlife

Urban Mortality

Birds growing up in the stress of urban environments have a greater risk of dying young than those raised in the country, according to new Swedish research.

Scientists from Lund University separated groups of young sibling great tits, then raised half in the city of Malmö and the rest in the countryside.

Within only 13 days, those exposed to city life had much shorter DNA components that are markers of anticipated life expectancy.

“Although there are advantages to living in cities, such as the access to food, they seem to be outweighed by the disadvantages, such as stress — at least in terms of how quickly the cells of the great tits age,” said biologist Pablo Salmón.

The findings raise questions about the effects of urban stress on other creatures.