A Test of Potential Pleistocene Mammal Seed Dispersal in Anachronistic Fruits using Extant Ecological and Physiological Analogs

Boone, M. J.; Davis, Charli N.; Klasek, Laura; Sol, Jillian F. del; Roehm, Katherine; Moran, Matthew D.

doi:10.1656/058.014.0109

Cited by 11 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…In all experiments, survivorship was unaffected by treatment, so gut passage only affected plant quality. Interestingly, these results differ from previous greenhouse experiments where persimmon seeds sprouted at much higher rates if consumed by elephants compared to whole fruit, but plant quality was similar (Boone et al., ), while seeds that had been consumed by coyotes had lower seedling quality compared to whole fruits (Roehm & Moran, ). These results show the possible effects of field versus greenhouse experiments.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 98%

“…Virginia opossums consumed fruits, but were observed expelling the seeds without swallowing them. Previous research found that about 50% of the seeds consumed by elephants survive gut passage intact (Boone et al., ). Although we did not monitor the number of seeds in these experiments, we found numerous intact seeds in the elephant dung.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We had access to modern analogs for each of these extinct groups of animals using Asian Elephants ( Elephas maximus ) and alpacas ( Vicugna pacos L.) for Mastodons and American camels, respectively. Previous studies demonstrated that horses readily consume persimmon fruits, but the seeds do not survive gut passage (Boone et al., ), so we excluded this Pleistocene analog from our study. For extant native species, we tested the coyote ( Canis latrans Say), raccoon ( Procyon lotor L.), and Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana Kerr), three of the most common mesopredators found in our study region.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Experimental studies indicate that the seeds of some proposed anachronistic fruits sprout and produce higher quality seedlings after passing through the guts of Pleistocene ecological analogs (e.g., Asian Elephant, Elephas maximus L., Boone et al., ), while others have shown that native extant mammals could also be effective seed dispersers for these plants (Cypher & Cypher, ; Roehm & Moran, ). Several studies indicate that animals of the Order Carnivora, which often consume large amounts of fruit, may be the important dispersers for fruits that are considered anachronistic (Bustamante, Simonetti, & Mella, ; González‐Varo, López‐Bao, & Guitián, ; Koike, Morimoto, Goto, Kozakai, & Yamazaki, ; Willson, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seed dispersal of Diospyros virginiana in the past and the present: Evidence for a generalist evolutionary strategy

Rebein

Davis

Abad

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Several North American trees are hypothesized to have lost their co‐evolved seed disperser during the late‐Pleistocene extinction and are therefore considered anachronistic. We tested this hypothesis for the American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) by studying the effects of gut passage of proposed seed dispersers on seedling survival and growth, natural fruiting characteristics, and modern animal consumption patterns. We tested gut passage effects on persimmon seeds using three native living species, the raccoon (Procyon lotor), Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and coyote (Canis latrans), and two Pleistocene analogs; the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and alpaca (Vicugna pacos). Persimmon seeds excreted by raccoons, coyotes, and elephants survived gut transit. Gut passage did not affect sprouting success, but did tend to decrease time to sprout and increase seedling quality. Under field conditions, persimmon fruits were palatable on the parent tree and on the ground for an equal duration, but most fruits were consumed on the ground. Seven vertebrate species fed upon persimmon fruits, with the white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)—a species not capable of dispersing persimmon seeds—comprising over 90% of detections. Conversely, potential living seed dispersers were rarely detected. Our results suggest the American persimmon evolved to attract a variety of seed dispersers and thus is not anachronistic. However, human‐induced changes in mammal communities could be affecting successful seed dispersal. We argue that changes in the relative abundance of mammals during the Anthropocene may be modifying seed dispersal patterns, leading to potential changes in forest community composition.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 98%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seed dispersal of Diospyros virginiana in the past and the present: Evidence for a generalist evolutionary strategy

Rebein

Davis

Abad

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Recent preliminary experiments from our laboratory have shown that some North American plant species survive and grow better after passing through the digestive system of elephants, compared to native seed dispersers (Boone et al 2015). This study suggests that important ecological relationships could be re-established through de-extinction.…”

Section: Preparing For the Futurementioning

confidence: 64%

An argument supporting de-extinction and a call for field research

Davis¹,

Moran²

2016

Frontiers of Biogeography

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How to approach the study of syndromes in macroevolution and ecology

Sinnott‐Armstrong

Deanna

Pretz

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Syndromes, wherein multiple traits evolve convergently in response to a shared selective driver, form a central concept in ecology and evolution. Recent work has questioned the utility and indeed the existence of some of the classic syndromes, such as pollination and seed dispersal syndromes. Here, we discuss some of the major issues that have plagued research into syndromes in macroevolution. First, observation of co-evolving traits (sometimes called "trait syndromes'') is often used as evidence of adaptation to a particular driver, even when the link between traits and adaptation is not well-tested. Second, the study of syndromes often uses a biased sampling approach, focusing on the most extreme examples, which may obscure significant continuous variation between traits. Finally, researchers often focus on the traits that are easiest to measure even though these may not be the most directly relevant to adaptive hypotheses. We argue that these issues can be avoided by combining macroevolutionary studies of trait variation across entire clades with explicit tests of adaptive hypotheses, and that taking this approach will lead to a better understanding of syndrome-like evolution and its drivers.

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A Test of Potential Pleistocene Mammal Seed Dispersal in Anachronistic Fruits using Extant Ecological and Physiological Analogs

Cited by 11 publications

References 35 publications

Seed dispersal of Diospyros virginiana in the past and the present: Evidence for a generalist evolutionary strategy

Seed dispersal of Diospyros virginiana in the past and the present: Evidence for a generalist evolutionary strategy

An argument supporting de-extinction and a call for field research

How to approach the study of syndromes in macroevolution and ecology

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