Trait evolution during a rapid global weed invasion despite little genetic differentiation.

ABSTRACT: Invasive species often possess a great capacity to adapt to novel environments in the form of spatial trait variation, as a result of varying selection regimes, genetic drift, or plasticity. We explored the geographic differentiation in several phenotypic traits related to plant growth, reproduction, and defense in the highly invasive Centaurea solstitialis by measuring neutral genetic differentiation (F _ST), and comparing it with phenotypic differentiation (P _ST), in a common garden experiment in individuals originating from regions representing the species distribution across five continents. Native plants were more fecund than non-native plants, but the latter displayed considerably larger seed mass. We found indication of divergent selection f

SUBMITTER: Irimia RE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10197227 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature