Global relationships between body size and urban affinity across more than 30,000 plant and animal species.

Larger plant species tend to have higher urban affinity, while the relationship between body size and urban success varies widely among animal families across the globe.

• Why it matters: Understanding how species respond to urbanization is crucial for conserving biodiversity in expanding cities, yet broad-scale patterns linking traits like body size to urban success remain unclear.
• What they did: Analyzing occurrence data for over 30,000 plant and animal species across multiple regions, the study examined associations between body size and urban affinity at the interspecific and family levels, with results accessible via an interactive platform.
• The result: Findings reveal that body size influences urban affinity differently among taxa, emphasizing the need for tailored conservation strategies and providing a framework for future research on urban biodiversity resilience.