Megafauna Seed Dispersal in the Neotropics: A Meta-Analysis Shows No Genetic Signal of Loss of Long-Distance Seed Dispersal.

ABSTRACT: Restricted gene flow may lead to the loss of genetic diversity and higher genetic differentiation among populations, but the genetic consequences of megafauna extinction for plant populations still remain to be assessed. We performed a phylogenetic-independent meta-analysis across 102 Neotropical plants to test the hypothesis that plant species with megafaunal seed dispersal syndrome have a lower genetic diversity and a higher genetic differentiation than those without it. We classified as megafauna-dependent plant species those that potentially relied only on megafauna to seed dispersal, and as megafauna-independent those that relied on megafauna and other seed dispersers. Our data comprised 98 studies using microsatellite markers. We found no statistical difference in genetic diversity a

SUBMITTER: Collevatti RG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6739635 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature