Evolved Similarities from Half the World Away

The rapid change of our planet induced by humans and our activities affects species ecology, habitat and their life history. When we study how environmental changes may threaten the future of single species we gain knowledge to protect these species and make them survive. The Eurasian red squirrel in the Italian Alps and the endangered American red squirrel of Mt. Graham (AZ, USA) are two similar tree squirrel species that live in high-elevation mountain conifer forests. We are studying how different ecological pressures (food, habitat, climate) have influenced their social evolution, space use and population dynamics.