Aim Mammalian carnivores are among the best studied groups in terms of evolutionary history. However, the effects of species interactions in shaping community assemblages remain poorly understood. We hypothesize that indirect interactions via ecological trait filtering play a key role in structuring carnivoran assemblages, mediate coexistence and thus should show high functional diversity (FD) in space and time at continental...

Interspecific gene flow can lead to the formation of hybrid populations that have a competitive advantage over the parental populations, even for hybrids from a cross between crops and wild relatives. Wild prickly lettuce ( Lactuca serriola ) has recently expanded in Europe and hybridization with the related crop species (cultivated lettuce, L. sativa ) has been hypothesized as one of the mechanisms behind this expansion. In a...