Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by Waterbirds

Internal transport (endozoochory) and external transport (epizoochory) by migratory waterbirds are key mechanisms of long-distance dispersal for seeds and other diaspores of plants lacking a fleshy fruit. Beginning with Darwin in 1859, we review how opinions about the relative importance of epizooch...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Green, Andy J., Wilkinson, David M.
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/369078
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/369078
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Dispersal mechanisms
Endozoochory
Epizoochory
History of science
Long-distance dispersal
Migration
Unassisted diaspores
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spelling Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by WaterbirdsGreen, Andy J.Wilkinson, David M.Dispersal mechanismsEndozoochoryEpizoochoryHistory of scienceLong-distance dispersalMigrationUnassisted diasporesInternal transport (endozoochory) and external transport (epizoochory) by migratory waterbirds are key mechanisms of long-distance dispersal for seeds and other diaspores of plants lacking a fleshy fruit. Beginning with Darwin in 1859, we review how opinions about the relative importance of epizoochory and endozoochory have changed repeatedly over time and how this allows us to reassess our modern understanding of plant dispersal. Darwin was mistaken in asserting that diaspores cannot survive passage through the gut of waterbirds or other granivorous birds. This “digestion myth” led him to underestimate endozoochory and overstate the importance of epizoochory, an approach which is echoed throughout the literature until the present day. Darwin also focused on aquatic plants, yet it is now clear that waterbirds are also major vectors of terrestrial plants. Based on their empirical observations and experiments, other less influential scientists (notably Hesselman in 1897, Guppy in 1906 and Proctor in the 1960s) argued that endozoochory is the more important mechanism for waterbirds. Modern field and experimental studies demonstrate the dominant role for endozoochory. Unfortunately, avian endozoochory of dry-fruited plants continues to be ignored as a dispersal mechanism by many plant ecologists, which we attribute to Darwin’s continuing influence. However, this endozoochory has major implications for plant biogeography and requires wider recognition and researchA.J.G. was supported by Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad Project CGL2016-76067-P (AEI/FEDER, EU), a Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport Mobility Grant (PR2015-00049), and the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación WaterZoo project (PID2020-112774GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)Peer reviewedMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing InstituteMinisterio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (España)Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)European CommissionMinisterio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (España)Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]2024202420242024info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Publisher's versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/369078reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglés#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE##PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/CGL2016-76067-P/info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020/PID2020-112774GB-I00https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3040034Síinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/3690782026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by Waterbirds
title Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by Waterbirds
spellingShingle Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by Waterbirds
Green, Andy J.
Dispersal mechanisms
Endozoochory
Epizoochory
History of science
Long-distance dispersal
Migration
Unassisted diaspores
title_short Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by Waterbirds
title_full Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by Waterbirds
title_fullStr Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by Waterbirds
title_full_unstemmed Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by Waterbirds
title_sort Darwin’s Digestion Myth: Historical and Modern Perspectives on Our Understanding of Seed Dispersal by Waterbirds
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Green, Andy J.
Wilkinson, David M.
author Green, Andy J.
author_facet Green, Andy J.
Wilkinson, David M.
author_role author
author2 Wilkinson, David M.
author2_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (España)
Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)
European Commission
Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (España)
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Dispersal mechanisms
Endozoochory
Epizoochory
History of science
Long-distance dispersal
Migration
Unassisted diaspores
topic Dispersal mechanisms
Endozoochory
Epizoochory
History of science
Long-distance dispersal
Migration
Unassisted diaspores
description Internal transport (endozoochory) and external transport (epizoochory) by migratory waterbirds are key mechanisms of long-distance dispersal for seeds and other diaspores of plants lacking a fleshy fruit. Beginning with Darwin in 1859, we review how opinions about the relative importance of epizoochory and endozoochory have changed repeatedly over time and how this allows us to reassess our modern understanding of plant dispersal. Darwin was mistaken in asserting that diaspores cannot survive passage through the gut of waterbirds or other granivorous birds. This “digestion myth” led him to underestimate endozoochory and overstate the importance of epizoochory, an approach which is echoed throughout the literature until the present day. Darwin also focused on aquatic plants, yet it is now clear that waterbirds are also major vectors of terrestrial plants. Based on their empirical observations and experiments, other less influential scientists (notably Hesselman in 1897, Guppy in 1906 and Proctor in the 1960s) argued that endozoochory is the more important mechanism for waterbirds. Modern field and experimental studies demonstrate the dominant role for endozoochory. Unfortunately, avian endozoochory of dry-fruited plants continues to be ignored as a dispersal mechanism by many plant ecologists, which we attribute to Darwin’s continuing influence. However, this endozoochory has major implications for plant biogeography and requires wider recognition and research
publishDate 2024
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2024
2024
2024
2024
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Publisher's version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/369078
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/369078
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/CGL2016-76067-P/
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020/PID2020-112774GB-I00
https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3040034
Sí
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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