Temporal collections to study invasion biology

Abstract

Biological invasions represent an extraordinary opportunity to study evolution. This is because accidental or deliberate species introductions have taken place for centuries across large geographical scales, frequently prompting rapid evolutionary transitions in invasive populations. Until recently, however, the utility of invasions as evolutionary experiments has been hampered by limited information on the makeup of populations that were part of earlier invasion stages. Now, developments in ancient and historical DNA technologies, as well as the quickening pace of digitization for millions of specimens that are housed in herbaria and museums globally, promise to help overcome this obstacle. In this review, we first introduce the types of temporal data that can be used to study invasions, highlighting the timescale captured by each approach and their respective limitations. We then discuss how ancient and historical specimens as well as data available from prior invasion studies can be used to answer questions on mechanisms of (mal)adaptation, rates of evolution, or community‐level changes during invasions. By bridging the gap between contemporary and historical invasive populations, temporal data can help us connect pattern to process in invasion science. These data will become increasingly important if invasions are to achieve their full potential as experiments of evolution in nature.

Adaptation to bioinvasions: When does it occur?

“…This reduced variation is indeed expected to lead to inbreeding depression, thus hindering the ability of the introduced population to persist and evolve in the new environment (Allendorf & Lundquist, 2003). Recent studies (e.g., Kim et al., 2023) emphasize the importance of temporal analyses in invasion biology, highlighting how temporal data collections can provide insights into the progressive stages of invasion, and offering a coherent description of how and when adaptive changes occur. However, while the analysis of adaptation mechanisms during biological invasions has traditionally focused on resolving the genetic paradox, and many possible explanations have been proposed (Estoup et al., 2016; Hawes et al., 2018; Marin et al., 2020; Stapley et al., 2015), the importance of time has often been overlooked, and the chronological order in which adaptation events occur still remains a crucial knowledge gap.…”

“…However, while the analysis of adaptation mechanisms during biological invasions has traditionally focused on resolving the genetic paradox, and many possible explanations have been proposed (Estoup et al., 2016; Hawes et al., 2018; Marin et al., 2020; Stapley et al., 2015), the importance of time has often been overlooked, and the chronological order in which adaptation events occur still remains a crucial knowledge gap. The temporal perspective is, nevertheless, crucial for effectively managing invasive species and mitigating their impacts (Kim et al., 2023). Indeed, understanding when and under which evolutionary processes adaptation is most likely to develop is indeed critical to comprehend the potential opportunities and challenges invasive species may face during the invasion process, helping delineate effective management strategies.…”