Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover
Authors: Santangelo James S. , Ness Rob W. , Cohan Beata , Fitzpatrick Connor R. , Innes Simon G. , Koch Sophie , Miles Lindsay S. , Munim Samreen , Peres-Neto Pedro R. , Prashad Cindy , Tong Alex T. , Aguirre Windsor E. , Akinwole Philips O. , Alberti Marina , Álvarez Jackie , Anderson Jill T. , Anderson Joseph J. , Ando Yoshino , Andrew Nigel R. , Angeoletto Fabio , Anstett Daniel N. , Anstett Julia , Aoki-Gonçalves Felipe , Arietta A. Z. Andis , Arroyo Mary T. K. , Austen Emily J. , Baena-Díaz Fernanda , Barker Cory A. , Baylis Howard A. , Beliz Julia M. , Benitez-Mora Alfonso , Bickford David , Biedebach Gabriela , Blackburn Gwylim S. , Boehm Mannfred M. A. , Bonser Stephen P. , Bonte Dries , Bragger Jesse R. , Branquinho Cristina , Brans Kristien I. , Bresciano Jorge C. , Brom Peta D. , Bucharova Anna , Burt Briana , Cahill James F. , Campbell Katelyn D. , Carlen Elizabeth J. , Carmona Diego , Castellanos Maria Clara , Centenaro Giada , Chalen Izan , Chaves Jaime A. , Chávez-Pesqueira Mariana , Chen Xiao-Yong , Chilton Angela M. , Chomiak Kristina M. , Cisneros-Heredia Diego F. , Cisse Ibrahim K. , Classen Aimée T. , Comerford Mattheau S. , Fradinger Camila Cordoba , Corney Hannah , Crawford Andrew J. , Crawford Kerri M. , Dahirel Maxime , David Santiago , De Haan Robert , Deacon Nicholas J. , Dean Clare , del-Val Ek , Deligiannis Eleftherios K. , Denney Derek , Dettlaff Margarete A. , DiLeo Michelle F. , Ding Yuan-Yuan , Domínguez-López Moisés E. , Dominoni Davide M. , Draud Savannah L. , Dyson Karen , Ellers Jacintha , Espinosa Carlos I. , Essi Liliana , Falahati-Anbaran Mohsen , Falcão Jéssica C. F. , Fargo Hayden T. , Fellowes Mark D. E. , Fitzpatrick Raina M. , Flaherty Leah E. , Flood Pádraic J. , Flores María F. , Fornoni Juan , Foster Amy G. , Frost Christopher J. , Fuentes Tracy L. , Fulkerson Justin R. , Gagnon Edeline , Garbsch Frauke , Garroway Colin J. , Gerstein Aleeza C. , Giasson Mischa M. , Girdler E. Binney , Gkelis Spyros , Godsoe William , Golemiec Anneke M. , Golemiec Mireille , González-Lagos César , Gorton Amanda J. , Gotanda Kiyoko M. , Granath Gustaf , Greiner Stephan , Griffiths Joanna S. , Grilo Filipa , Gundel Pedro E. , Hamilton Benjamin , Hardin Joyce M. , He Tianhua , Heard Stephen B. , Henriques André F. , Hernández-Poveda Melissa , Hetherington-Rauth Molly C. , Hill Sarah J. , Hochuli Dieter F. , Hodgins Kathryn A. , Hood Glen R. , Hopkins Gareth R. , Hovanes Katherine A. , Howard Ava R. , Hubbard Sierra C. , Ibarra-Cerdeña Carlos N. , Iñiguez-Armijos Carlos , Jara-Arancio Paola , Jarrett Benjamin J. M. , Jeannot Manon , Jiménez-Lobato Vania , Johnson Mae , Johnson Oscar , Johnson Philip P. , Johnson Reagan , Josephson Matthew P. , Jung Meen Chel , Just Michael G. , Kahilainen Aapo , Kailing Otto S. , Kariñho-Betancourt Eunice , Karousou Regina , Kirn Lauren A. , Kirschbaum Anna , Laine Anna-Liisa , LaMontagne Jalene M. , Lampei Christian , Lara Carlos , Larson Erica L. , Lázaro-Lobo Adrián , Le Jennifer H. , Leandro Deleon S. , Lee Christopher , Lei Yunting , León Carolina A. , Lequerica Tamara Manuel E. , Levesque Danica C. , Liao Wan-Jin , Ljubotina Megan , Locke Hannah , Lockett Martin T. , Longo Tiffany C. , Lundholm Jeremy T. , MacGillavry Thomas , Mackin Christopher R. , Mahmoud Alex R. , Manju Isaac A. , Mariën Janine , Martínez D. Nayeli , Martínez-Bartolomé Marina , Meineke Emily K. , Mendoza-Arroyo Wendy , Merritt Thomas J. S. , Merritt Lila Elizabeth L. , Migiani Giuditta , Minor Emily S. , Mitchell Nora , Mohammadi Bazargani Mitra , Moles Angela T. , Monk Julia D. , Moore Christopher M. , Morales-Morales Paula A. , Moyers Brook T. , Muñoz-Rojas Miriam , Munshi-South Jason , Murphy Shannon M. , Murúa Maureen M. , Neila Melisa , Nikolaidis Ourania , Njunjić Iva , Nosko Peter , Núñez-Farfán Juan , Ohgushi Takayuki , Olsen Kenneth M. , Opedal Øystein H. , Ornelas Cristina , Parachnowitsch Amy L. , Paratore Aaron S. , Parody-Merino Angela M. , Paule Juraj , Paulo Octávio S. , Pena João Carlos , Pfeiffer Vera W. , Pinho Pedro , Piot Anthony , Porth Ilga M. , Poulos Nicholas , Puentes Adriana , Qu Jiao , Quintero-Vallejo Estela , Raciti Steve M. , Raeymaekers Joost A. M. , Raveala Krista M. , Rennison Diana J. , Ribeiro Milton C. , Richardson Jonathan L. , Rivas-Torres Gonzalo , Rivera Benjamin J. , Roddy Adam B. , Rodriguez-Muñoz Erika , Román José Raúl , Rossi Laura S. , Rowntree Jennifer K. , Ryan Travis J. , Salinas Santiago , Sanders Nathan J. , Santiago-Rosario Luis Y. , Savage Amy M. , Scheepens J.F. , Schilthuizen Menno , Schneider Adam C. , Scholier Tiffany , Scott Jared L. , Shaheed Summer A. , Shefferson Richard P. , Shepard Caralee A. , Shykoff Jacqui A. , Silveira Georgianna , Smith Alexis D. , Solis-Gabriel Lizet , Soro Antonella , Spellman Katie V. , Whitney Kaitlin Stack , Starke-Ottich Indra , Stephan Jörg G. , Stephens Jessica D. , Szulc Justyna , Szulkin Marta , Tack Ayco J. M. , Tamburrino Ítalo , Tate Tayler D. , Tergemina Emmanuel , Theodorou Panagiotis , Thompson Ken A. , Threlfall Caragh G. , Tinghitella Robin M. , Toledo-Chelala Lilibeth , Tong Xin , Uroy Léa , Utsumi Shunsuke , Vandegehuchte Martijn L. , VanWallendael Acer , Vidal Paula M. , Wadgymar Susana M. , Wang Ai-Ying , Wang Nian , Warbrick Montana L. , Whitney Kenneth D. , Wiesmeier Miriam , Wiles J. Tristian , Wu Jianqiang , Xirocostas Zoe A. , Yan Zhaogui , Yao Jiahe , Yoder Jeremy B. , Yoshida Owen , Zhang Jingxiong , Zhao Zhigang , Ziter Carly D. , Zuellig Matthew P. , Zufall Rebecca A. , Zurita Juan E. , Zytynska Sharon E. , Johnson Marc T. J. 
Published: March 2022

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale.