Data from: Rapid evolution of a native species following invasion by a congener

In recent years, biologists have increasingly recognized that evolutionary change can occur rapidly when natural selection is strong; thus, real-time studies of evolution can be used to test classic evolutionary hypotheses directly. One such hypothesis is that negative interactions between closely related species can drive phenotypic divergence. Such divergence is thought to be ubiquitous, though well-documented cases are surprisingly rare. On small islands in Florida, we found that the lizard Anolis carolinensis moved to higher perches following invasion by Anolis sagrei and, in response, adaptively evolved larger toepads after only 20 generations. These results illustrate that interspecific interactions between closely related species can drive evolutionary change on observable time scales.

近年来，生物学家愈发认识到：当自然选择强度较高时，演化变化可快速发生；因此，实时演化研究可用于直接检验经典演化假说。其中一项经典假说认为，亲缘关系较近的物种间的负相互作用，可推动表型分化。尽管有详实记录的相关案例极为罕见，但这类表型分化被认为广泛存在。在佛罗里达州的小型岛屿上，我们观测到：卡罗莱纳安乐蜥（Anolis carolinensis）在萨氏安乐蜥（Anolis sagrei）入侵后，迁至更高的栖息处，并在仅20代的时间内适应性演化出更大的趾垫。本研究结果表明，亲缘关系较近的物种间的种间相互作用，可在可观测的时间尺度上推动演化变化。