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Evolution

Evolution in permanently invaded ecosystems

Nature Reviews Biodiversity volume 1, page 147 (2025)Cite this article

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Anthropogenically introduced species are capable of reshaping recipient ecosystems. Strauss, Lau and Carroll synthesized the effect of species introduction on native ecosystems, and found that native communities evolve responses to better contend with their introduced counterparts. Strauss and colleagues reviewed a global body of literature across both flora and fauna that documents the traits that shift after species introduction, whether the documented trait shifts were adaptive, whether the trait change drove an evolutionary shift and more. They conclude by highlighting that novel ecological interactions can provide strong selective pressures for native organisms, but that these effects are context dependent. The authors suggest that understanding evolutionary responses to species introduction is crucial for comprehension of life in the modern world.

Following their review of the literature, Strauss and colleagues derive four hypotheses that pertain to the evolutionary consequences of introduced species. The first hypothesis states that introduced species exert strong selection pressures on native communities. The second states that the genetic population structure of native species can influence the likelihood of evolutionary responses to introduction. The third states that phenotypic plasticity enables native organisms to respond and adapt to novel selection pressures. Finally, a fourth hypothesis states that shared evolutionary history with an introduced species — or a lack thereof — can determine the strength of selection exerted by introduction. These hypotheses now serve as central principles in studying evolutionary ecology in novel ecosystems, the influence of which is evident in the two decades of research following publication.

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References

Original article

  • Strauss, S. Y., Lau, J. A. & Carroll, S. P. Evolutionary responses of natives to introduced species: what do introductions tell us about natural communities? Ecol. Lett. 9, 357–374 (2006)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia

    Eamonn I. F. Wooster

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  1. Eamonn I. F. Wooster
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Correspondence to Eamonn I. F. Wooster.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Wooster, E.I.F. Evolution in permanently invaded ecosystems. Nat. Rev. Biodivers. 1, 147 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00029-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00029-w

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