▪ Abstract Vertebrate dispersal of fruits and seeds is a common feature of many modern
angiosperms and gymnosperms, yet the evolution and frequency of this feature in the fossil …

Birds and mammals are the only vertebrates which receive comprehensive attention in
studies of dispersal of fleshy-fruited plant species. However, recently the importance of …

Feeding specializations such as herbivory are an often cited example of convergent and
adaptive evolution. However, some groups such as lizards appear constrained in the …

Although the relationship between dietary and phenotypic specialization has been well
documented for many vertebrate groups, it has been stated that few such general trends can …

Despite the accumulation of a considerable body of literature about frugivory and seed
dispersal of fleshy-fruited plants by vertebrates during the last decades (eg reviews in Howe …

Extinction-driven, body-size reduction of seed dispersers (ie an ecological downsizing
resulting from severe defaunation) can entail the loss of unique ecological functions, and …

The success of many alien plant species depends on mutualistic relationships with other
species. We describe the assemblage of seed dispersers on three species of alien Opuntia …

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is an invasive zoonotic nematode which causes eosinophilic
meningitis in accidental hosts–vertebrates including humans–and is known to impact …

The existence of evolutionary trade-offs prevents simultaneous optimization of different
functions that require opposing biomechanical or physiological adaptations (Stearns, 1992) …

Seed dispersal and seedling recruitment are crucial phases in the life cycle of all
spermatophyte plants. The net contribution of seed dispersers to plant establishment is …