Weeds and Invasive species
Me and a friend of mine (an ecologist in training) were talking about weeds (plants) and i asked her about the advantages they have over natives that lets them thrive. She mentioned the fact that they might be alien species, transported to a new location devoid of their natural predators, therefore giving them the advantage to grow faster than the native species. There might also be other genetic variations which help the weeds. And given that weeds, by definition, can pop up at most places on earth and are hardly affected by drought/disease, scientists are trying to understand the genetic mutations they have that give raise to such abilities. By understanding the science behind the resilience of weeds, one can make agricultural crops less prone to drought/disease. This got me thinking about invasive species in general. Not just plants but a good number of animal species were introduced to new parts of the world, some intentionally and some accidentally. Here's a non-exhaustive ...