I am generally interested in biogeographic patterns and mechanisms, and the processes driving the evolution of morphological and life history traits of animals. I particularly like studying island systems because of their replicated natural experiment characteristics, and because, well… they’re just fun!
I like being out in the field, searching for wildlife, measuring whatever I can, in as many locations I can. But if that is not possible, then I am equally happy to visit museum collections or sitting in a room with the AC on, a cup of coffee and some good music in my ears, and pulling out published data. I like comparisons, and the more data I have – the merrier! I have to admit, as neardy as it sounds: it really pleases me seeing new complete rows in my data sheets (to the verge of this being addictive).
Since 2018 a lot of my attention is dedicated to the relationship between humans and nature, and how the ever-increasing presence of humans world-wide alters natural biological patterns. We know that anthropogenic activities are increasingly changing the natural world – they are transforming habitats, affecting species traits and distributions, modifying ecological communities, and even generating novel organisms. These alterations have severe environmental and economic implications. Understanding their large-scale effects has therefore become a pressing challenge, and a main research lane I have decided to follow. Within this context I am mostly focusing on the effects of urbanization.
Yuval Itescu 