Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems: Mechanisms Underlying Responses to Human-Generated Environmental Impacts

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Tommi Anttonen
  • Thiago Burghi
  • Laura Duvall
  • Maria P. Fernandez
  • Gabrielle Gutierrez
  • Kermen, Florence
  • Christine Merlin
  • Angie Michaiel

Human generated environmental change profoundly affects organisms that reside across diverse ecosystems. Although nervous systems evolved to flexibly sense, respond, and adapt to environmental change, it is unclear whether the rapid rate of environmental change outpaces the adaptive capacity of complex nervous systems. Here, we explore neural systems mediating responses to, or impacted by, changing environments, such as those induced by global heating, sensory pollution, and changing habitation zones. We focus on rising temperature and accelerated changes in environments that impact sensory experience as examples of perturbations that directly or indirectly impact neural function, respectively. We also explore a mechanism involved in cross-species interactions that arises from changing habitation zones. We demonstrate that anthropogenic influences on neurons, circuits, and behaviors are widespread across taxa and require further scientific investigation to understand principles underlying neural resilience to accelerating environmental change.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Neuroscience
Volume43
Issue number45
Pages (from-to)7530-7537
Number of pages8
ISSN0270-6474
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

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