Abstract
Evolutionary genetics of invasive species has been unexplored in Argentina. Invasive alien species (IAS) have a wide geographical distribution, characteristic life cycles and great ability to adapt, establish and spread in a new environment. Recent advances in novel molecular technologies, the use of higher resolution genetic markers, and the research development on genetic variation of invasive species consolidated the importance of genetic aspects in the invasion process. Undoubtedly, the growing concern for the disturbances generated by invasive species on biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems was also determinant for the inclusion of the Invasion Biology within the broad field of Evolutionary Biology including relevant examples that address the evolutionary genetic aspects of biological invasions. Recent studies suggest that the invasion success of many species depends on their ability to respond to natural selection. Although the number of invasive species registered in Argentina far exceeds 600, little research has been done on invasive mammal species and only five of them were hitherto genetically analyzed. Presuming that invasion genetics is incorporated into the agenda of control and management organizations, it would allow integrating the ecological, genetic, and evolutionary biology aspects for knowledge of invasive species widely distributed in Argentina. The objective of this article is to highlight the importance of evaluating the genetic structure of invasive species for their management and to inform about the invasive species of mammals that were introduced in Argentina and have been or are being analyzed genetically.
Highlights
Invasive alien species (IAS) have always raised interest, because of their distinctive characteristics of wide distribution and life cycles, and because of their ability for adaptation, establishment and expansion in a new environment, which allow them to become successful invaders
Despite the considerable number of mammal species introduced in Argentina [26, 27, 52], no genetic studies have been carried out for almost any of these species, not even descriptive studies suggesting the need to relate ecological aspects and population genetics
There is still much to be known about the adaptations of invasive species to the new environments in which they inhabit and about the potential of many other species that are not yet invasive
Summary
Invasive alien species (IAS) have always raised interest, because of their distinctive characteristics of wide distribution and life cycles, and because of their ability for adaptation, establishment and expansion in a new environment, which allow them to become successful invaders. Invasion genetics is a tool for reconstructing the biogeographic and evolutionary history of invasions, evaluating among other things, the magnitude of genetic bottlenecks and founding events Both evolutionary processes can drastically reduce genetic variability (gene drift), and it is expected that introduced species might have limited potential to adapt to new environments. Genomics is an extremely powerful tool for reconstructing the evolutionary history of invasive species [24] and enables scientists to differentiate between neutral (i.e. those changes in which natural selection does not affect their spread in a species) and positive DNA changes (i.e. those that improve chances of survival and reproduction of an organism and spread through a population) This positively selected evolution drives the fast adaptation of invasive species. Both disciplines provide a cost-effective solution to the monitoring and management of invasive species Studies using these new technologies will be key for analyzing the functional role of candidate loci and will represent a step forward for invasion genetics. It should be noted that so far in our country, no management or eradication plans have employed eDNA or genetic/genomic information
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