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Fruit Traits Reflect Adaptation to Dispersers Along a Tropical Elevational Gradient.

Richard J Hazell¹, Graham S Kaina^2,3, Katerina Sam^4,5

¹School of Life Sciences University of Sussex Falmer UK.

Ecology and Evolution

|December 4, 2025

Summary

Fruit size and color evolved together, supporting the dispersal syndromes hypothesis. Fruit size decreased with elevation, while bird-attracting colors became more common at higher altitudes in a Papua New Guinea rainforest.

Keywords:

dispersal syndromes elevation frugivory fruit traits gape limitation phylogeny

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Botany

Background:

Fruit traits influence animal seed dispersers, and vice versa.
Elevational gradients offer opportunities to study these interactions due to rapid trait changes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate fruit trait trends (size, color, presentation) along a rainforest elevational gradient.
To test the dispersal syndromes hypothesis using phylogenetic analysis.

Main Methods:

Studied fruit traits (size, color, presentation) on an elevational gradient (200-2700m) in Papua New Guinea.
Utilized phylogenetic information to assess trait evolution and dispersal syndromes.

Main Results:

Fruit size decreased with increasing elevation.
Bird-attracting fruit colors were more prevalent at higher elevations.
Fruits attracting mammalian dispersers were larger than those attracting birds, supporting correlated evolution of size and color.

Conclusions:

Evidence supports the dispersal syndromes hypothesis, indicating correlated evolution of fruit size and color.
Further research at broader scales is encouraged to explore fruit-disperser relationships across gradients.