Human diets drive range expansion of megafauna-dispersed fruit species.

ABSTRACT: Neotropical fruit species once dispersed by Pleistocene megafauna have regained relevance in diversifying human diets to address malnutrition. Little is known about the historic interactions between humans and these fruit species. We quantified the human role in modifying geographic and environmental ranges of Neotropical fruit species by comparing the distribution of megafauna-dispersed fruit species that have been part of both human and megafauna diets with fruit species that were exclusively part of megafauna diets. Three quarters of the fruit species that were once dispersed by megafauna later became part of human diets. Our results suggest that, because of extensive dispersal and management, humans have expanded the geographic and environmental ranges of species that would otherwise h

SUBMITTER: van Zonneveld M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5879677 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature