Epizoochorous seed dispersal by an Afroalpine savanna primate

Vivek V. Venkataraman; Carrie Miller; Iris Foxfoot; Bing Lin; Zack L. Petrie; Ruth A. Simberloff; Odin Bernardo; Nathan Redon; Triana I. Hohn; Jeffrey T. Kerby; Nga Nguyen; Peter J. Fashing

doi:10.1111/btp.13057

Epizoochorous seed dispersal by an Afroalpine savanna primate

Vivek V. Venkataraman^*, Carrie Miller, Iris Foxfoot, Bing Lin^*, Zack L. Petrie, Ruth A. Simberloff, Odin Bernardo, Nathan Redon, Triana I. Hohn, Jeffrey T. Kerby, Nga Nguyen, Peter J. Fashing

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Primates are prolific dispersers of seeds via endozoochory (i.e., defecation and spitting). In contrast, epizoochorous seed dispersal (i.e., via adhesion to fur) has rarely been observed in primates. On the Guassa Plateau in north-central Ethiopia, grass-eating geladas (Theropithecus gelada) regularly carry on their fur the barbed seeds of a commonly eaten plant, a low-lying herbaceous forb called Agrocharis melanantha [Apiaceae]. Here, we describe the basic ecology of this plant–primate relationship. For 24 months (November 2017–December 2019), we monitored the number and location of A. melanantha seeds on the fur of geladas (n = 225 individuals) from four age-sex classes: adult males, adult females, juveniles, and infants. Seed accumulation (n = 12649 seeds in total) was seasonal and closely tracked patterns of landscape vegetation phenology, peaking in September near the end of the rainy season. During seasonal periods of heavy seed accumulation, larger animals carried more seeds, which accumulated most often on the hindlimbs and on the long-haired “cape” (a secondary sexual characteristic) of adult males. Geladas almost never removed seeds during self- or social grooming. Rather, data on seed gain and loss from focal follows indicate that geladas gain and lose seeds every few minutes as they walk and sit in an upright feeding position amidst terrestrial vegetation. We estimate that, on average, geladas disperse seeds roughly 80 m from their parent plants. Geladas appear to exert negative and positive fitness impacts on A. melanantha by regularly consuming its herbaceous and underground tissues and dispersing its seeds. Abstract in Amharic is available with online material.

Original language	English
Journal	Biotropica
Volume	54
Issue	2
Pages (from-to)	358-369
Number of pages	12
ISSN	0006-3606
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13057
Publication status	Published - Mar 2022

Keywords

Afroalpine
Agrocharis melanantha
epizoochory
Ethiopia
gelada
primate
seed dispersal
Theropithecus gelada

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10.1111/btp.13057

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@article{ec86de6d373449ee93c6164eeeb7a948,

title = "Epizoochorous seed dispersal by an Afroalpine savanna primate",

abstract = "Primates are prolific dispersers of seeds via endozoochory (i.e., defecation and spitting). In contrast, epizoochorous seed dispersal (i.e., via adhesion to fur) has rarely been observed in primates. On the Guassa Plateau in north-central Ethiopia, grass-eating geladas (Theropithecus gelada) regularly carry on their fur the barbed seeds of a commonly eaten plant, a low-lying herbaceous forb called Agrocharis melanantha [Apiaceae]. Here, we describe the basic ecology of this plant–primate relationship. For 24 months (November 2017–December 2019), we monitored the number and location of A. melanantha seeds on the fur of geladas (n = 225 individuals) from four age-sex classes: adult males, adult females, juveniles, and infants. Seed accumulation (n = 12649 seeds in total) was seasonal and closely tracked patterns of landscape vegetation phenology, peaking in September near the end of the rainy season. During seasonal periods of heavy seed accumulation, larger animals carried more seeds, which accumulated most often on the hindlimbs and on the long-haired “cape” (a secondary sexual characteristic) of adult males. Geladas almost never removed seeds during self- or social grooming. Rather, data on seed gain and loss from focal follows indicate that geladas gain and lose seeds every few minutes as they walk and sit in an upright feeding position amidst terrestrial vegetation. We estimate that, on average, geladas disperse seeds roughly 80 m from their parent plants. Geladas appear to exert negative and positive fitness impacts on A. melanantha by regularly consuming its herbaceous and underground tissues and dispersing its seeds. Abstract in Amharic is available with online material.",

keywords = "Afroalpine, Agrocharis melanantha, epizoochory, Ethiopia, gelada, primate, seed dispersal, Theropithecus gelada",

author = "Venkataraman, {Vivek V.} and Carrie Miller and Iris Foxfoot and Bing Lin and Petrie, {Zack L.} and Simberloff, {Ruth A.} and Odin Bernardo and Nathan Redon and Hohn, {Triana I.} and Kerby, {Jeffrey T.} and Nga Nguyen and Fashing, {Peter J.}",

year = "2022",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1111/btp.13057",

language = "English",

volume = "54",

pages = "358--369",

journal = "Biotropica",

issn = "0006-3606",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Epizoochorous seed dispersal by an Afroalpine savanna primate

AU - Venkataraman, Vivek V.

AU - Miller, Carrie

AU - Foxfoot, Iris

AU - Lin, Bing

AU - Petrie, Zack L.

AU - Simberloff, Ruth A.

AU - Bernardo, Odin

AU - Redon, Nathan

AU - Hohn, Triana I.

AU - Kerby, Jeffrey T.

AU - Nguyen, Nga

AU - Fashing, Peter J.

PY - 2022/3

Y1 - 2022/3

N2 - Primates are prolific dispersers of seeds via endozoochory (i.e., defecation and spitting). In contrast, epizoochorous seed dispersal (i.e., via adhesion to fur) has rarely been observed in primates. On the Guassa Plateau in north-central Ethiopia, grass-eating geladas (Theropithecus gelada) regularly carry on their fur the barbed seeds of a commonly eaten plant, a low-lying herbaceous forb called Agrocharis melanantha [Apiaceae]. Here, we describe the basic ecology of this plant–primate relationship. For 24 months (November 2017–December 2019), we monitored the number and location of A. melanantha seeds on the fur of geladas (n = 225 individuals) from four age-sex classes: adult males, adult females, juveniles, and infants. Seed accumulation (n = 12649 seeds in total) was seasonal and closely tracked patterns of landscape vegetation phenology, peaking in September near the end of the rainy season. During seasonal periods of heavy seed accumulation, larger animals carried more seeds, which accumulated most often on the hindlimbs and on the long-haired “cape” (a secondary sexual characteristic) of adult males. Geladas almost never removed seeds during self- or social grooming. Rather, data on seed gain and loss from focal follows indicate that geladas gain and lose seeds every few minutes as they walk and sit in an upright feeding position amidst terrestrial vegetation. We estimate that, on average, geladas disperse seeds roughly 80 m from their parent plants. Geladas appear to exert negative and positive fitness impacts on A. melanantha by regularly consuming its herbaceous and underground tissues and dispersing its seeds. Abstract in Amharic is available with online material.

AB - Primates are prolific dispersers of seeds via endozoochory (i.e., defecation and spitting). In contrast, epizoochorous seed dispersal (i.e., via adhesion to fur) has rarely been observed in primates. On the Guassa Plateau in north-central Ethiopia, grass-eating geladas (Theropithecus gelada) regularly carry on their fur the barbed seeds of a commonly eaten plant, a low-lying herbaceous forb called Agrocharis melanantha [Apiaceae]. Here, we describe the basic ecology of this plant–primate relationship. For 24 months (November 2017–December 2019), we monitored the number and location of A. melanantha seeds on the fur of geladas (n = 225 individuals) from four age-sex classes: adult males, adult females, juveniles, and infants. Seed accumulation (n = 12649 seeds in total) was seasonal and closely tracked patterns of landscape vegetation phenology, peaking in September near the end of the rainy season. During seasonal periods of heavy seed accumulation, larger animals carried more seeds, which accumulated most often on the hindlimbs and on the long-haired “cape” (a secondary sexual characteristic) of adult males. Geladas almost never removed seeds during self- or social grooming. Rather, data on seed gain and loss from focal follows indicate that geladas gain and lose seeds every few minutes as they walk and sit in an upright feeding position amidst terrestrial vegetation. We estimate that, on average, geladas disperse seeds roughly 80 m from their parent plants. Geladas appear to exert negative and positive fitness impacts on A. melanantha by regularly consuming its herbaceous and underground tissues and dispersing its seeds. Abstract in Amharic is available with online material.

KW - Afroalpine

KW - Agrocharis melanantha

KW - epizoochory

KW - Ethiopia

KW - gelada

KW - primate

KW - seed dispersal

KW - Theropithecus gelada

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122231971&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/btp.13057

DO - 10.1111/btp.13057

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85122231971

SN - 0006-3606

VL - 54

SP - 358

EP - 369

JO - Biotropica

JF - Biotropica

IS - 2

ER -

Epizoochorous seed dispersal by an Afroalpine savanna primate

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