Associated evolution of fruit size, fruit colour and spines in Neotropical palms

Abstract

Understanding how ecological interactions have shaped the evolutionary dynamics of species traits remains a challenge in evolutionary ecology. Combining trait evolution models and phylogenies, we analysed the evolution of characters associated with seed dispersal (fruit size and colour) and herbivory (spines) in Neotropical palms to infer the role of these opposing animal–plant interactions in driving evolutionary patterns. We found that the evolution of fruit colour and fruit size was associated in Neotropical palms, supporting the adaptive interpretation of seed‐dispersal syndromes and highlighting the role of frugivores in shaping plant evolution. Furthermore, we revealed a positive association between fruit size and the presence of spines on palm leaves, bracteas and stems. We hypothesize that interactions between palms and large‐bodied frugivores/herbivores may explain the evolutionary relationship between fruit size and spines. Large‐bodied frugivores, such as extinct megafauna, besides consuming the fruits and dispersing large seeds, may also have consumed the leaves or damaged the plants, thus simultaneously favouring the evolution of large fruits and defensive structures. Our findings show how current trait patterns can be understood as the result of the interplay between antagonistic and mutualistic interactions that have happened throughout the evolutionary history of a clade.

Understanding the relationship between fruit colour and primate vision requires multiple lines of evidence. A reply to Heymann & Fuzessy

“…capuchin monkeys feeding on the fruits of Astrocaryum spp. [9]), which is consistent with the macroevolutionary signal of associated evolution of mutualistic (fruit) and antagonistic (spine) traits in (Neotropical) palms [10].…”

Dispersers and environment drive global variation in fruit colour syndromes

“…Both birds and mammals are extraordinarily diverse, and include obligate and facultative frugivores such as cassowaries (Bradford et al, 2008), hornbills (Kitamura et al, 2004), passerines (Willson, 1994), lemurs (Valenta et al, 2015), bats (Hodgkison et al, 2003), elephants (Gautier‐Hion et al, 1985) and bears (Hwang et al, 2002; Rodríguez et al, 2021), among many other groups. Despite this diversity, many studies acknowledge differences between dispersers yet continue to group fruits into broad “bird” and “mammal” categories (Brodie, 2017; Cazetta et al, 2008; Lomáscolo et al, 2008; Masaki et al, 2012; Ferreira do Nascimento et al, 2020; Valenta et al, 2018a; Valido et al, 2011).…”

Palm Functional Traits, Soil Fertility and Hydrology Relationships in Western Amazonia

“…The biotic factors that determine fruit size have been extensively studied, mainly under hypotheses of dispersal syndromes (Gautier-Hion et al, 1985) in which the presence and type of dispersers exert selective pressure on the fruit size. For palms, small-conspicuous fruits are dispersed by birds, and large-cryptic fruits are dispersed by large mammals (do Nascimento et al, 2020). We found, on a regional scale, a correlation of soil fertility with fruit size.…”

“…On the other hand, they demonstrated that abiotic factors such as light availability in the canopy are more strongly correlated with fruit size (Eriksson et al, 2000). It has been suggested that large seeds have less dispersal capacity and require suitable environments to germinate due to their low possibility of moving (do Nascimento et al, 2020). Producing large fruits and seeds is costly for the plant (Goheen et al, 2007), but large seeds often have a greater chance of germination (Galetti et al, 2013).…”