How a handful of snakes overran the island of Guam – without succumbing to inbreeding

National Geographic featured research led by Trevor Krabbenhoft about how brown tree snakes, introduced to Guam after World War II, became a highly destructive invasive species despite originating from only a small founding population. The study reveals that hidden genetic diversity in their genome, especially in genes related to immunity and smell, may explain how they adapted and spread so successfully. “We’re now getting a better understanding of unappreciated sources of genetic diversity that may explain how some inbred species can still respond to their environment,” explained first author Christopher Osborne, a former doctoral student at UB.