27/08/2025 | A study led by JGU provides the first direct evidence that species that never interact can profoundly influence each other’s evolution, challenging a long-held focus on direct interactions in evolutionary biology.

Natural ecosystems are intricate webs where species can interact directly, like predators and prey, or influence one another through a chain of environmental effects. But can these indirect interactions be powerful enough to permanently alter a species’ genetic makeup? According to researchers at the Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), the answer is a definitive yes.
In a study published on August 21st, 2025, in PNAS, an international team has demonstrated that indirect ecological effects can drive rapid evolution in aquatic communities. “We showed that land-based aphids influenced the evolution of Daphnia, a tiny aquatic crustacean, even though the two species never come into contact,” stated Professor Dr. Shuqing Xu of JGU, who led the research in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), the University of Basel, and Clemson University. “The entire interaction is mediated by a cascade of species interactions and the shared environment, highlighting a crucial, yet often overlooked, evolutionary mechanism.”
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Source: JGU | Press and Public Relations