Coevolution of mistletoes and frugivorous birds?*

Abstract

Small frugivorous birds that Jeed largely on the fruit.s ofstem-parasitie mi.'stletoes have independently evolved in various parts of the \yorld. Local populations of mistletoes may be di.spersed almost exelusively by these birds. Four attributes of mistletoe dispersal systems may have enhanced the evolution of reeiprocal dependence between mistletoes and specialized dispersers:(1) Safe sites for mistletoe seeds (i.e. the young branches of a compatible host) are precisely defined in space and time.

Frugivoria e potencial dispersão de sementes pelo marsupial Gracilinanus agilis (Didelphidae: Didelphimorphia) em áreas de Cerrado no Brasil central

“…A grande maioria das espécies de erva-de-passarinho depende das aves para a dispersão de suas sementes, sendo algumas destas dispersoras altamente especializadas no consumo dos frutos (Reid 1991). Até o momento, somente um outro registro desta natureza foi realizado na América do sul por Amico & Aizen (2000).…”

Mistletoes: Pathology, Systematics, Ecology, and Management

“…The coevolution of mistletoes with their avian vectors has resulted in attractive and nutritious fruits that provide valuable food for many bird species throughout the world (49,120,134,178,179,201,220). The mature fruits of mistletoes are brightly colored (usually white, yellow, red, blue, or purple) (Fig.…”

“…The mature fruits of mistletoes are brightly colored (usually white, yellow, red, blue, or purple) (Fig. 1C), and their seeds are coated with a natural "glue," termed viscin (116,178). Birds either swallow mistletoe fruits whole, peel off the outer exocarp and ingest the seed and viscin, or eat only the viscin coating around the seed (116,178,199,200,220).…”

Frugivoria e especificidade por hospedeiros na erva-de-passarinho Phoradendron rubrum (L.) Griseb. (Viscaceae)

“…O pequeno tamanho destas aves deve ser considerado o principal fator na seleção de galhos menores. Reid (1991) sugere que o requerimento por galhos menores pode ter promovido uma coevolução entre aves com massa corporal pequena e as ervas-de-passarinho.…”