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Dynamic Genetic Changes Reveal: Intra-Lineage Diversity, Not Admixture, Explains Amaranthus palmeri’s Success in China

Jing-Jing Cao,Hong‐Wei Wang,Jianguo Fu,Fanghao Wan,Jianying Guo,Rui Wang

Published 2025 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences

ABSTRACT

Global trade facilitates multiple introductions of alien species, yet the role of genetic admixture between divergent lineages in driving invasion success remains debated. Here, we address this question by analyzing dynamic genetic changes across invasion stages in the dioecious weed Amaranthus palmeri, introduced to China from North and South America. Combining chloroplast phylogeography with nuclear genetic analyses, we systematically investigated genetic changes in populations at casual, naturalized, invasive, and dispersal stages. Initial casual populations originated from distinct North and South American lineages, but all established populations (naturalized, invasive, dispersal) retained only North American haplotypes. South American genetic introgression decreased progressively during invasion (from 34% in naturalized to 3% in dispersal populations), accompanied by declining inbreeding coefficients. Established populations exhibited high inter-population crosses within the North American lineage (54–60%), maintaining genetic diversity and overcoming bottlenecks. Our findings demonstrate that invasion success in A. palmeri may be driven by gene flow within the North American lineage, rather than admixture between divergent lineages. These findings enhance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underpinning plant invasions, highlighting lineage-specific management as a critical strategy for controlling invasive populations.

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