Seed dispersal anachronisms: rethinking the fruits extinct megafauna ate.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Some neotropical, fleshy-fruited plants have fruits structurally similar to paleotropical fruits dispersed by megafauna (mammals > 10(3) kg), yet these dispersers were extinct in South America 10-15 Kyr BP. Anachronic dispersal systems are best explained by interactions with extinct animals and show impaired dispersal resulting in altered seed dispersal dynamics.

Methodology/principal findings

We introduce an operational definition of megafaunal fruits and perform a comparative analysis of 103 Neotropical fruit species fitting this dispersal mode. We define two megafaunal fruit types based on previous analyses of elephant fruits: fruits 4-10 cm in diameter with up to five large seeds, and fruits > 10 cm diameter with numerous small seeds. Megafaunal fruits are wel

SUBMITTER: Guimaraes PR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2258420 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature