Global study of seed consumption uncovers wider risk to plant species
Monday, July 20, 2015 - 11:00
in Biology & Nature
The first worldwide study of animals and the seeds they eat has overturned a long-held assumption -- that large animals mainly eat large seeds. The finding shows that a wider variety of plants than is often thought could be at risk if large animals go extinct and do not disperse their seeds. The study covers 13,000 animal-seed interactions and includes all vertebrate species -- fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals -- from areas ranging from the Arctic tundra to tropical rainforests.