Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genetic Consequences of Invasive Species in the Galapagos Islands

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Understanding Invasive Species in the Galapagos Islands

Abstract

Species invasions of the Galapagos Islands is the number one threat to its endemic biodiversity. The Galapagos Islands support important human settlements, which combined with thousands of visitors per year making the archipelago highly susceptible to invasions of nonnative species. Invasive species reached the Galapagos most likely from mainland Ecuador and exhibit genetic signatures consistent with recent founder events. Comparisons between invasive populations in Galapagos and their native counterparts on the mainland reveal lower genetic diversity in the former. These invasions are generally consistent with our understanding of how invasive species reach and persist on islands, and help us to highlight the generality of this relevant biodiversity threat, as a path to search for potential solutions. Here, we present some examples of the genetic consequences of such invasions in the hopes that these can be used to inform policy, management, and science decisions concerning native and invasive species on the Galapagos.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Arbogast BS, Drovetski SV, Curry RL, Boag PT, Seutin G, Grant PR, Grant BR, Anderson DJ (2006) The origin and diversification of Galapagos mockingbirds. Evolution 60:370–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bataille A, Cunningham AA, Cedeño V, Cruz M, Eastwood G, Fonseca DM, Causton CE, Azuero R, Loayza J, Martinez JDC (2009a) Evidence for regular ongoing introductions of mosquito disease vectors into the Galapagos Islands. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci rspb20090998

    Google Scholar 

  • Bataille A, Cunningham AA, Cedeño V, Patiño L, Constantinou A, Kramer LD, Goodman SJ (2009b) Natural colonization and adaptation of a mosquito species in Galapagos and its implications for disease threats to endemic wildlife. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:10230–10235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benavides E, Baum R, McClellan D, Sites JW (2007) Molecular phylogenetics of the lizard genus Microlophus (squamata:tropiduridae): aligning and retrieving indel signal from nuclear introns. Syst Biol 56:776–797

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradshaw AD (1965) Evolutionary significance of phenotypic plasticity in plants. In: Caspari EW, Thoday JM (eds) Advances in genetics, vol 13. Academic, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Caccone A, Gibbs JP, Ketmaier V, Suatoni E, Powell JR (1999) Origin and evolutionary relationships of giant Galapagos tortoises. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 96:13223–13228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Causton CE, Sevilla C (2007) Últimos registros de invertebrados introducidos y su control en Galápagos. In: Galapagos Report 2006-2007. Galapagos National Park Directorate, Governing Council of Galapagos, Charles Darwin Foundation, and Galapagos Conservancy, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos

    Google Scholar 

  • Causton CE, Peck SB, Sinclair BJ, Roque-Albelo L, Hodgson CJ, Landry B (2006) Alien insects: threats and implications for the conservation of the Galapagos Islands. Ann Entomol Soc Am 99:121–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaves JA, Parker PG, Smith TB (2012) Origin and population history of a recent colonizer, the yellow warbler in Galapagos and Cocos Islands. J Evol Biol 25:509–521

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen I-C, Hill JK, Ohlemüller R, Roy DB, Thomas CD (2011) Rapid range shifts of species associated with high levels of climate warming. Science 333:1024–1026

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chown SL, Hodgins KA, Griffin PC, Oakeshott JG, Byrne M, Hoffmann AA (2015) Biological invasions, climate change and genomics. Evol Appl 8:23–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colautti RI, Barrett SCH (2013) Rapid adaptation to climate facilitates range expansion of an invasive plant. Science 342:364–366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Costa-da-Silva AL, Capurro ML, Bracco JE (2005) Genetic lineages in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from Peru. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 100:539–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cruz D, Causton CE (2007) Incrementa el tráfico aéreo a Galápagos. In: Galapagos Report 2006-2007. Galapagos National Park Directorate, Governing Council of Galapagos, Charles Darwin Foundation, and Galapagos Conservancy, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson AM, Jennions M, Nicotra AB (2011) Do invasive species show higher phenotypic plasticity than native species and, if so, is it adaptive? A meta-analysis. Ecol Lett 14:419–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dudaniec RY, Gardner MG, Donellan S, Kleindorfer S (2008) Genetic variation in the invasive avian parasite, Philornis downsi (Diptera, Muscidae) on the Galapagos archipelago. BMC Ecol 8:13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fessl B, Couri MS, Tebbich S (2001) Philornis downsi Dodge & Aitken, new to the Galapagos Islands (Diptera, Muscidae). Studia Dipterologica 8:317–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Fundación Natura (1997) Informe Galápagos 1996-1997. In: Fundación Natura (Ecuador) y la WWF

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorrochotegui-Escalante N, Gomez-Machorro C, Lozano-Fuentes S, Fernandez-Salas L, De Lourdes Munoz M, Farfan-Ale JA, Garcia-Rejon J, Beaty BJ, Black WC (2002) Breeding structure of Aedes aegypti populations in Mexico varies by region. Am J Trop Med Hyg 66:213–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoogmoed MS (1989) Introduced geckos in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, with remarks on other areas. In: Noticias de Galápagos, Book 47

    Google Scholar 

  • Hulme PE, Le Roux JJ (2016) Invasive species shape evolution. Science 352:422–422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiménez-Uzcáteguia G, Carrión V, Zabala J, Buitrón P, Milstead B (2007) Estado de los vertebrados introducidos en Galápagos. In: Galapagos Report 2006-2007. Galapagos National Park Directorate, Governing Council of Galapagos, Charles Darwin Foundation, and Galapagos Conservancy, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleindorfer S, Dudaniec RY (2016) Host-parasite ecology, behavior and genetics: a review of the introduced fly parasite Philornis downsi and its Darwin’s finch hosts. BMC Zool 1:1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraemer MUG, Sinka ME, Duda KA, Mylne AQN, Shearer FM, Barker CM, Moore CG, Carvalho RG, Coelho GE, Van Bortel W, Hendrickx G, Schaffner F, Elyazar IRF, Teng H-J, Brady OJ, Messina JP, Pigott DM, Scott TW, Smith DL, Wint GRW, Golding N, Hay SI (2015) The global distribution of the arbovirus vectors Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. eLife 4:e08347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin II, Zwiers P, Deem SL, Geest EA, Higashiguchi JM, Iezhova TA, Jiménez-Uzcátegui G, Kim DH, Morton JP, Perlut NG, Renfrew RB, Sari EHR, Valkiunas G, Parker PG (2013) Multiple lineages of Avian malaria parasites (Plasmodium) in the Galapagos Islands and evidence for arrival via migratory birds. Conserv Biol 27:1366–1377

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loope LL, Hamann O, Stone CP (1988) Comparative conservation biology of oceanic archipelagoes: Hawaii and the Galapagos. BioScience 38:272–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacArthur RH, Wilson EO (1963) An equilibrium theory of insular zoogeography. Evolution 17:373–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCormack JE, Heled J, Delaney KS, Peterson AT, Knowles LL (2011) Calibrating divergence times on species trees versus gene trees: implications for speciation history of Aphelocoma jays. Evolution 65:184–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mustafa M, Rasotgi V, Jain S, Gupta V (2015) Discovery of fifth serotype of dengue virus (DENV-5): a new public health dilemma in dengue control. Med J Armed Forces India 71:67–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olmedo LJ, Cayot LJ (1994) Introduced geckos in the towns of Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Isabela. In: Noticias de Galapagos Book 53

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker PG, Buckles EL, Farrington H, Petren K, Whiteman NK, Ricklefs RE, Bollmer JL, Jiménez-Uzcátegui G (2011) 110 years of Avipoxvirus in the Galapagos Islands. PLoS One 6:e15989

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pazmiño DA (2011) Origen de las poblaciones introducidas de Scinax quinquefasciatus (Anura: Hylidae) en las islas Galápagos. Licenciatura, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

    Google Scholar 

  • Pimentel D, McNair S, Janecka J, Wightman J, Simmonds C, O’Connell C, Wong E, Russel L, Zern J, Aquino T (2001) Economic and environmental threats of alien plant, animal, and microbe invasions. Agric Ecosyst Environ 84:1–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pybus OG, Harvey PH (2000) Testing macro–evolutionary models using incomplete molecular phylogenies. Proc R Soc Lond Ser B Biol Sci 267:2267–2272

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rabosky DL, Lovette IJ, Mooers A (2008) Explosive evolutionary radiations: decreasing speciation or increasing extinction through time? Evolution 62:1866–1875

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rey JR, Lounibos P (2015) Ecología de Aedes aegypti y Aedes albopictus en América y transmisión enfermedades. Biomédica 35:177–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reznick DN, Ghalambor CK (2001) The population ecology of contemporary adaptations: what empirical studies reveal about the conditions that promote adaptive evolution. Genetica 112:183–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Morales A (2015) Dengue and chikungunya were not enough: now also Zika arrived. Arch Med 11:e3

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruane S, Bryson RW, Pyron RA, Burbrink FT (2013) Coalescent species delimitation in milksnakes (genus Lampropeltis) and impacts on phylogenetic comparative analyses. Syst Biol 63:231–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarrazin F, Lecomte J (2016) Evolution in the Anthropocene. Science 351:922–923

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sato A, O’HUigin C, Figueroa F, Grant PR, Grant BR, Tichy H, Klein J (1999) Phylogeny of Darwin’s finches as revealed by mtDNA sequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 96:5101–5106

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sax DF, Stachowicz JJ, Brown JH, Bruno JF, Dawson MN, Gaines SD, Grosberg RK, Hastings A, Holt RD, Mayfield MM, O’Connor MI, Rice WR (2007) Ecological and evolutionary insights from species invasions. Trends Ecol Evol 22:465–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlichting CD, Levin DA (1986) Phenotypic plasticity: an evolving plant character. Biol J Linn Soc 29:37–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soltis PS, Soltis DE (2009) The role of hybridization in plant speciation. Annu Rev Plant Biol 60:561–588

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stuart YE, Campbell TS, Hohenlohe PA, Reynolds RG, Revell LJ, Losos JB (2014) Rapid evolution of a native species following invasion by a congener. Science 346:463–466

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Todesco M, Pascual MA, Owens GL, Ostevik KL, Moyers BT, Hübner S, Heredia SM, Hahn MA, Caseys C, Bock DG, Rieseberg LH (2016) Hybridization and extinction. Evol Appl 9:892–908

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Torres-Carvajal O (2015) On the origin of South American populations of the common house gecko (Gekkonidae: Hemidactylus frenatus). NeoBiota 27:69–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torres-Carvajal O, Tapia W (2011) First record of the common house gecko Hemidactylus frenatus Schlegel, 1836 and distribution extension of Phyllodactylus reissii Peters, 1862 in the Galapagos. CheckList 7

    Google Scholar 

  • Torres-Carvajal O, Barnes CW, Pozo-Andrade MJ, Tapia W, Nicholls G (2014) Older than the islands: origin and diversification of Galapagos leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylidae: Phyllodactylus) by multiple colonizations. J Biogeogr 41:1883–1894

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torres-Carvajal O, Rodríguez-Guerra A, Chaves JA (2016) Present diversity of Galapagos leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylidae: Phyllodactylus) stems from three independent colonization events. Mol Phylogenet Evol 103:1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tye A, Atkinson R, Carrión V (2007) Incrementa el número de plantas introducidas en Galápagos. In: Galapagos Report 2006-2007. Galapagos National Park Directorate, Governing Council of Galapagos, Charles Darwin Foundation, and Galapagos Conservancy, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos

    Google Scholar 

  • Vilà M, Espinar JL, Hejda M, Hulme PE, Jarošík V, Maron JL, Pergl J, Schaffner U, Sun Y, Pyšek P (2011) Ecological impacts of invasive alien plants: a meta-analysis of their effects on species, communities and ecosystems. Ecol Lett 14:702–708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh SJ, Mena CF (2016) Interactions of social, terrestrial, and marine sub-systems in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:14536–14543

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wikelski M, Foufopoulos J, Vargas H, Snell H (2004) Galapagos birds and diseases: invasive pathogens as threats for island species. Ecol Soc 9:5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zapata F, Martinetti M (2010) Optimizing marine transport of food products to Galapagos: advances in the implementation plan. In: Galapagos Report 2009-2010. Galapagos National Park Directorate, Governing Council of Galapagos, Charles Darwin Foundation, and Galapagos Conservancy, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador

    Jaime A. Chaves

  2. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Ambientales BIÓSFERA, Quito, Ecuador

    Jaime A. Chaves

Authors
  1. Jaime A. Chaves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jaime A. Chaves .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador

    María de Lourdes Torres

  2. Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador

    Carlos F. Mena

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Chaves, J.A. (2018). Genetic Consequences of Invasive Species in the Galapagos Islands. In: Torres, M., Mena, C. (eds) Understanding Invasive Species in the Galapagos Islands. Social and Ecological Interactions in the Galapagos Islands. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67177-2_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation