Colonization of the Galápagos Islands by plants with no specific syndromes for long‐distance dispersal: a new perspective

A groundbreaking study challenges the long-held assumption that plant colonization of isolated islands requires specific dispersal syndromes. Analyzing 251 native genera (509 angiosperm species) in the Galápagos Islands, researchers found that 36% of successful colonists—including many dry-fruit-bearing plants—lacked specialized traits for animal, wind, or water dispersal. This suggests that unpredictable long-distance dispersal mechanisms, previously overlooked, played a significant role in island colonization. The study combines floristic data, diaspore traits, phylogenetic corrections, and palaeobotanical records to infer 372 colonization events, with proportions of dispersal syndromes remaining consistent even when excluding human-mediated introductions.

Vargas, P., Heleno, R., Traveset, A., & Nogales, M. (2012). Colonization of the Galápagos Islands by plants with no specific syndromes for long‐distance dispersal: a new perspective. Ecography, 35(1), 33–43. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2011.06980.x