After the island of Madagascar drifted away from India 88 million years ago, isolating it from all other landmasses, its flora and fauna evolved in seclusion.
After the island of Madagascar drifted away from India 88 million years ago, isolating it from all other landmasses, its flora and fauna evolved in seclusion. As these transformed into plants and animals completely unique to their island, Madagascar became a biodiversity hotspot unlike anywhere else on Earth.
An important facet of this biodiversity is an ecological process called endozoochory, which is when animals eat plant seeds and then poop them out somewhere else, aiding in the spread of the plants. Most research on endozoochory has focused on the roles of birds and mammals as seed dispersers, but lizards, which are also known to play a significant role, have remained largely overlooked.
This negligence inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to shine a spotlight on the humble lizard. Unlike many seed dispersers, lizards are not typically frugivores, animals that thrive on fruit and other fruit-like plant substances such as nuts and seeds. Fewer than 10% of lizard species have been reported to consume fruits, but those that do can play an important role, and some lizards are even known to act as primary seed dispersers for certain plant species.
"Lizards are under-appreciated as seed dispersers in many forest ecosystems, but we hypothesized that they may play a more important role across a broader range of regions than previously recognized," says corresponding author Ryobu Fukuyama.
Read more at Kyoto University
Image: A Malagasy Giant Chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti) eating a fruit from the Madagascar almond tree (Terminalia boivinii) (Credit: KyotoU / Ryobu Fukuyama)