Invasion genomics of the alpine newt in Britain reveal a complex history of introductions and translocations

The spread of invasive species to regions outside of their typical, native range has been fuelled by globalization and trade, with human-facilitated introductions being a primary driver of invasion by non-native species. The alpine newt, Ichthyosaura alpestris is native to mainland Europe, and has become well-established at several locations across the UK, with a pattern of invasion in the UK suggesting both primary introductions from its native range, and secondary translocations from established sites. We sampled 95 individuals from 23 ponds in 11 sites across the UK and obtained their genomic SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) data from ddRAD-sequencing to answer questions about the invasion history of these UK non-native amphibians. In conjunction with these genomic tools, anecdotal evidence is also used to better understand the pattern of invasion and subsequent spread of alpine newts across the country. Our results provide an insight into the genetic variation within these populations, with strong population structure among sites and ponds within a site. Population structure analyses also provide evidence for human-assisted movement of newts within the UK and the results are consistent with multiple independent introductions. Such findings support the idea that human-mediated translocation plays a central role in the movement of alpine newts around the UK. This research illustrates how genomics can be used in conjunction with historical data to better understand the invasion history of non-native organisms. Supplementary Material File (rh_popgen_manuscript_january_2025.docx) - Download - 2.21 MB Information & Authors Information Version history Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License.

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 398views 172downloads Citations Download citation Rachel Hester, Jim Labisko, Jinliang Wang, et al. Invasion genomics of the alpine newt in Britain reveal a complex history of introductions and translocations. Authorea. 10 January 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173650524.41144486/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173650524.41144486/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu. Cited by - Insights from paedomorphic newts in introduced populations, NeoBiota, 99, (249-263), (2025).https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.99.152115 Loading...