The dispersal of alien species redefines biogeography in the Anthropocene

Abstract

Emerging patterns in species distribution: Human influences are leading to a shift in the geographical distribution of animal species. Capinha et al. compared the distributions of native mollusk species with those introduced to new areas by human activities. The ranges of native species are still broadly constrained by limitations on their capacity for dispersal, whereas those of the introduced aliens are affected more by climate and patterns of human movement. As humans continue to break down barriers to dispersal, more species' distributions will come to be limited by their environmental tolerances. Science , this issue p. 1248