RESEARCH SCOPE

Contemporary evolution is a common occurrence in biological invasions. For example, many common garden experiments report that non-native populations show higher competitive ability than native populations. However, our understanding of contemporary evolution is limited because most studies underestimate among-population variation (APV) within and between native and non-native ranges. More specifically, only a few studies on contemporary evolution disentangle how population histories drive APV. Furthermore, integrative frameworks of APV-focused research are lacking but could identify mechanisms of contemporary evolution, particularly with a view on state-of-the-art population genomics, ecometabolomics, and metagenomics assessing belowground biotic interactions. To address this research gap, our collaborative network performed a greenhouse experiment testing for the determinants of APV in competitive ability in a multi-omics study. Doing so, we aim to develop a more mechanistic understanding of how contemporary evolution drives competitive ability across native and non-native ranges.