Signal and reward in wild fleshy fruits : does fruit scent predict nutrient content?

Abstract

The study examines the relationship between olfactory signals and nutrient rewards in 28 fruiting plant species in Madagascar. Previous work has shown that lemurs are the main seed dispersers in the ecosystem, relying on fruit scent to identify ripe fruits. The relative amounts of four chemical classes in fruit scent are measured using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, as well as the relative amounts of sugar and protein in fruit pulp. The project tests the phylogenetic signal to examine whether closely related taxa tend to be similar, and compares the nutritional content of lemur‐ and bird‐dispersed fruits. The relationships reported here are across species, not within them.

Description

Keywords

FRUITS, SEED DISPERSAL, PHYLOGENY, ECOSYSTEM APPROACHES, FOREST CONSERVATION, BIODIVERSITY, WILD ANIMALS, WILDLIFE, ANIMAL NUTRITION, MADAGASCAR, TROPICAL FRUIT, SOUTH OF SAHARA

Citation

DOI