Chronosequence of invasion reveals minimal losses of population genomic diversity, niche expansion, and trait divergence in the polyploid, leafy spurge.

ABSTRACT: Rapid evolution may play an important role in the range expansion of invasive species and modify forecasts of invasion, which are the backbone of land management strategies. However, losses of genetic variation associated with colonization bottlenecks may constrain trait and niche divergence at leading range edges, thereby impacting management decisions that anticipate future range expansion. The spatial and temporal scales over which adaptation contributes to invasion dynamics remain unresolved. We leveraged detailed records of the ~130-year invasion history of the invasive polyploid plant, leafy spurge (Euphorbia virgata), across ~500 km in Minnesota, U.S.A. We examined the consequences of range expansion for population genomic diversity, niche breadth, and the evolution of germin

SUBMITTER: Lake TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10660801 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature