How Brown Tree Snakes Became an Unstoppable Invasive Species

A new genome study suggests Guam’s brown tree snakes may have overcome a severe genetic bottleneck using hidden structural DNA variation.

Using long-read sequencing, researchers found thousands of structural variants, including changes linked to immunity and smell.

The findings help explain how a small founding population could inbreed yet still spread rapidly across the island.

The study suggests overlooked genetic diversity may shape both invasive success and conservation resilience.