Are Raccoons On The Road To Domestication?

Are Raccoons On The Road To Domestication?

What does it mean to be a wild animal in a world dominated by humans? A recent study found that city-dwelling raccoons’ snouts are getting shorter—a sign of domestication. Another study on dark-eyed juncos living on a Los Angeles college campus found that their beaks changed shape during the COVID-19 lockdown, when there wasn’t as much food and trash on campus.

Evolutionary biologist Pamela Yeh and animal domestication expert Raffaela Lesch join Host Flora Lichtman to discuss how wildlife is evolving in urban areas, what it means to be domesticated, and when we can expect to have a pet raccoon sleeping at the foot of the bed.

Guests:
Dr. Pamela Yeh is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA.
Dr. Raffaela Lesch is an assistant professor of biology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.

Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(1338)

Why do sports announcers talk like that?

Why do sports announcers talk like that?

If you watch sports, whether the recent NBA finals or the ongoing World Cup matches, you may have noticed that the athletes aren’t the only ones putting on a show. The announcers seem to be playing a ...

19 Jun 13min

Swords, cannibalism, poison: inside the world of killer microbes

Swords, cannibalism, poison: inside the world of killer microbes

There is a murderous crime spree happening right under—and perhaps inside—our noses. Killer microbes armed with weapons are eviscerating, assassinating, and detonating their fellow microbes. And the n...

18 Jun 21min

When music transports you to a different place

When music transports you to a different place

Do you ever hear a song that transports you to a specific place and time? This auditory wormhole has a name: musical daydreams. Music cognition expert Elizabeth Margulis studies why they happen, and w...

17 Jun 18min

A vast whale graveyard + Zombie sea cucumbers

A vast whale graveyard + Zombie sea cucumbers

Researchers just published details of a massive undersea graveyard of whales deep in the Indian Ocean. Spanning about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles), it contains whale remains dating back more than 5 mi...

16 Jun 18min

Should we bring mountain lions back to the Northeast?

Should we bring mountain lions back to the Northeast?

Big cats used to roam the entire United States. You might know them as mountain lions, pumas, cougars, or catamounts. Though they go by many names, they're actually all the same species.  Their curren...

15 Jun 12min

Blue Origin explosion hits NASA timeline + Artemis III crew

Blue Origin explosion hits NASA timeline + Artemis III crew

When Blue Origin’s New Glenn spacecraft exploded in an enormous fireball during a ground test a couple weeks ago, it sent shockwaves not only through the air, but through NASA’s timeline for the upcom...

12 Jun 12min

Why can I handle tequila but not rum?

Why can I handle tequila but not rum?

‘Tis the season for porch beers and happy hours, and we’re taking on listener questions about how alcohol affects us. Like, is a glass of wine at dinner really good for you? And why do sugary drinks g...

11 Jun 21min

AI + turfgrass science in the most high-tech World Cup yet

AI + turfgrass science in the most high-tech World Cup yet

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest one yet, and FIFA is trying to make it the most high-tech, too. The federation has partnered with tech giant Lenovo to launch Football AI Pro, which is designed ...

10 Jun 19min

Populært innen Vitenskap

fastlegen
tingenes-tilstand
jss
rss-nysgjerrige-norge
villmarksliv
rss-paradigmepodden
sinnsyn
liberal-halvtime
dekodet-2
rekommandert
forskningno
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
rss-overskuddsliv
rss-inn-til-kjernen-med-sunniva-rose
nevropodden
rss-rekommandert
hva-er-greia-med
fjellsportpodden
aldring-og-helse-podden
rss-bondevennen