Hybridisation primes population invasiveness under environmental change

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Biological invasions pose significant global environmental threats, causing extinctions and economic losses.
• Invasiveness assessments often overlook intraspecific population differences, which can be crucial under environmental gradients.
• The 'killer shrimp' Dikerogammarus villosus is a high-impact invasive species with distinct invasive populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the physiological responses of two genetically distinct invasive populations of Dikerogammarus villosus to environmental stresses.
• To assess the performance of intraspecific hybrids between these populations under stress.
• To understand how intraspecific variation and hybridization influence invasion success in changing environments.

Main Methods:

• Experimental comparison of physiological responses between two Dikerogammarus villosus populations.
• Assessment of intraspecific hybrid performance under simulated environmental stresses.
• Analysis of metabolic responses to climate change-associated stressors.

Main Results:

• Distinct invasive populations of Dikerogammarus villosus exhibited different physiological responses to environmental stress.
• Intraspecific hybrids between these populations showed significant performance advantages under stress.
• Hybridization may enhance invasion success by increasing genetic diversity and phenotypic capacity.

Conclusions:

• Intraspecific variation is critical for understanding and managing invasive species.
• Hybridization between distinct invasive populations can confer a significant advantage under environmental stress.
• Findings have implications for predicting and managing invasive species spread in the face of climate change.