International Journal of Molecular Zoology 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 182-196 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmz 188 wild-caught and laboratory conditions, showing how gene expression varies between species and populations based on environmental factors such as water availability. Panel D integrates these findings into functional categories and pathways, linking genes involved in energy and fat metabolism, cardiac output, oxidative stress, glucose transport, and water retention to specific adaptive phenotypes. These phenotypes include reduced energy expenditures, enhanced use of metabolic water, increased sodium excretion, and increased water reabsorption, all crucial for survival in arid environments. This comprehensive approach underscores the complex genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying desert adaptation. Figure 3 Genomic approaches used to identify genes underlying desert adaptation (Adopted from Rocha et al., 2021) 6.3 Urban mammals: behavioral changes in response to human activity Urbanization imposes new environmental pressures on wildlife, leading to significant behavioral changes in urban mammals. A systematic review of urban mammal behavior found that omnivores and carnivores are the most studied groups, with common behavioral changes including alterations in home range, diet preference, activity budget, vigilance, flight initiation distance, and increased nocturnal activity (Ritzel and Gallo, 2020). These
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