Seed and pollen dispersal by anilllals: convergence in the ecology of contalllination and sloppy harvest

Abstract

Sced dispe",al and pollen movement by animals have very much in common, though we know so lillie of either that it is hard to be specific. The focus has Ixen on animals at the fruit crop rathcr than the seed shado,,·s tltat they gencr;ve (and the fate of those seeds), and on the animals that arrive at flowers rather than where tltey take the pollen obtained or whence ume the pollen the)· are carrying. 'Sct:d di.persal' is a word that docs not imply the fate oftlte sct:d; 'pollination' fdates to the fate of the pollen grain, and therefore the \WO words arc not of paralld meaning. In like marmer, seeds (the zygote contained within) arc different individuals [rom the pa rents wltile pollen is much more like the parent. T he following areas are discussed wi tlt respect to how sced and pollen movement , ompare: abi li \y of parent pJam to asKSI success; gene flow; dependency of animals on seeds, flOllc" and bai t; disruption by animal loss; s«ondary movements; fate of most sads and pollen; syndromes; selection for maximization of movement; exclusion of ·unwanted· animals; adjustments to the needs of the animals; seeds and pollen as contaminants: net:enity of dispersal afld outcrussing. Wc nced much more knowledge of what actually is happening in n<l\ure with sced and polkn shadows, and improved ability to tltink like a plarll.