Deciphering Darwin's Conundrum Through the Asteraeceae Family in an Oceanic Archipelago: A Phylogenomic‐Functional Approach

Aim Biological invasions are a major threat to global biodiversity, with a particular strong impact on oceanic islands and their unique and fragile biotas. However, the complexity of the processes underlying invasions has prevented the identification of general patterns explaining why some plant species successfully establish and spread beyond their native ranges. Here, we investigate Darwin's naturalization conundrum in the most species‐rich angiosperm family of the Canary Islands, considering two invasion stages at the archipelago and island levels. Location Canary Islands. Methods Using a high‐resolution phylogeny covering the Asteraceae species from the archipelago and functional traits mainly measured from fresh and herbarium specimens, we calculated the phylogenetic and functional distances of invasive and noninvasive introduced species to natives. Results We found that successful introduced Asteraceae species were phylogenetically distant from their native relatives, with invasive species being even more distantly related to their closest native relative than noninvasive introduced species. Functionally, noninvasive species were distinct from their closest native relative, while invasive species showed unexpected similarity to the entire native community. Main Conclusions This study underscores the importance of a multidimensional approach to understanding plant invasion success. Identifying key patterns associated with biological invasions is crucial for predicting invasion risks and developing effective strategies to prevent future ecological disruptions on islands.