Defaunation precipitates the extinction of evolutionarily distinct interactions in the Anthropocene

Author(s)

Emer, Carine ^[1] ; Galetti, Mauro ^[1] ; Pizo, Marco A. ^[2] ; Jordano, Pedro ^[3] ; Verdu, Miguel ^[4]

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

• 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