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Updated: May 12, 2026
06:48
Assessing Intertidal Populations of the Invasive European Green Crab
Published on: September 16, 2020
Kin competition as a major driving force for invasions
Alexander Kubisch1, Emanuel A Fronhofer, Hans Joachim Poethke
1Field Station Fabrikschleichach, University of Würzburg, Glashuettenstrasse 5, 96181 Rauhenebrach, Germany. kubisch@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
The American Naturalist
|April 19, 2013
Summary
Kin competition significantly drives dispersal evolution during invasions, challenging the sole focus on spatial selection. This biotic factor is crucial, especially in structured populations expanding into new territories.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Population Dynamics
Background:
- Current theories attribute accelerating invasions to spatial selection driving increased dispersal.
- The role of other selective forces, such as kin competition, in dispersal evolution during invasions is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the importance of kin competition as a selective force driving dispersal evolution during population invasions.
- To compare the relative contributions of kin competition and spatial selection to dispersal evolution.
Main Methods:
- Utilized individual-based simulations of a spatially structured population invading empty space.
- Contrasted simulation scenarios with and without kin effects to isolate the impact of kin competition on dispersal evolution.
- Analyzed dispersal evolution at the expanding population margin.
Main Results:
- Kin competition was found to be a major determinant of dispersal evolution at invasion fronts.
- The influence of kin competition was particularly pronounced under conditions favoring strong kin structure (small patches, low environmental stochasticity, high patch isolation).
- Results indicate that biotic interactions, specifically kin competition, are critical for understanding dispersal evolution during invasions.
Conclusions:
- Kin competition is a significant selective force in dispersal evolution during invasions, comparable in importance to spatial selection.
- Biotic influences, particularly kin competition, play a crucial role in shaping dispersal strategies at invasion fronts.
- Future research on invasion dynamics should incorporate the effects of kin competition and other biotic interactions.
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