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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Defaunation precipitates the extinction of evolutionarily distinct interactions in the Anthropocene

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Author(s):
Emer, Carine [1] ; Galetti, Mauro [1] ; Pizo, Marco A. [2] ; Jordano, Pedro [3] ; Verdu, Miguel [4]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Ecol, CP 199, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, CP 199, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil
[3] CSIC, EBD, Integrat Ecol Grp, Av Amer Vespucio 26, E-41092 Seville - Spain
[4] UVEG, CSIC, GV, Ctr Invest Desertificac, E-46113 Valencia - Spain
Total Affiliations: 4
Document type: Journal article
Source: SCIENCE ADVANCES; v. 5, n. 6 JUN 2019.
Web of Science Citations: 2
Abstract

Species on Earth are interconnected with each other through ecological interactions. Defaunation can erode those connections, yet we lack evolutionary predictions about the consequences of losing interactions in human-modified ecosystems. We quantified the fate of the evolutionary history of avian-seed dispersal interactions across tropical forest fragments by combining the evolutionary distinctness of the pairwise-partner species, a proxy to their unique functional features. Both large-seeded plant and large-bodied bird species showed the highest evolutionary distinctness. We estimate a loss of 3.5 to 4.7 x 10(4) million years of cumulative evolutionary history of interactions due to defaunation. Bird-driven local extinctions mainly erode the most evolutionarily distinct interactions. However, the persistence of less evolutionarily distinct bird species in defaunated areas exerts a phylogenetic rescue effect through seed dispersal of evolutionarily distinct plant species. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 14/01986-0 - Ecological consequences of defaunation in the Atlantic Rainforest
Grantee:Mauro Galetti Rodrigues
Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
FAPESP's process: 17/25605-3 - Participation on the XV Frugivory Course and Workshop on the Atlantic Database
Grantee:Mauro Galetti Rodrigues
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
FAPESP's process: 16/18355-8 - Evolutionary history of a plant-frugivore metanetwork in a defaunated tropical forest
Grantee:Carine Emer
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
FAPESP's process: 15/15172-7 - Effects of defaunation and introduction of exotic species on plant-seed dispersal interaction networks
Grantee:Carine Emer
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral