How to cope with a changing world? A comparative study with lizards

• Applicant: Dr. Isabel Damas Moreira
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Animals and Ecosystems, Organismic Interactions
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 502040958

Humans are causing dramatic transformations to all environments at unprecedented rate and magnitude and they are, directly or indirectly, the biggest threat to the world’s biodiversity. But while most species are negatively impacted by humans and their actions, some are able to adjust and even take advantage of human-induced rapid environmental changes. What make some species so great at dealing with quick changes, new tasks, and novel environments, while others cannot cope with it? Only by understanding what particular traits can assist species to adjust and survive to human-induced rapidenvironmental changes, can we successfully manage our decisions and direct conservation efforts. In this project, I aim to study the behaviour and cognition, both at individual and social levels, of five lacertid lizards (Podarcis siculus, P. muralis, P. melisellensis, Dalmatolacerta oxycephala and Lacerta agilis) from Croatia that differin their ability to endure anthropogenic conditions. For this, I will compare lizard populations that live in urban, rural and wild environments. I will perform a battery of behavioural tests (assessing individual’s problem-solving ability, social learning and personality), under field and lab conditions, and collect physiological (hormones and gut microbiome) and morphological data (colouration and patterns). This innovative project with a multidisciplinary approach will make a great contribution to understanding the effects of urbanized environments on animal behaviour.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants