Were Malagasy Uncarina fruits dispersed by the extinct elephant bird?

We hypothesise that the spiny fruits of the endemic Madagascar genus Uncarina (Pedaliaceae) are trample burrs that evolved to be dispersed on the feet of the extinct elephant bird (Aepyornis). Our evidence is: i) the morphology of the fruit with its large grapple hooks is more likely to attach to a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: J. Midgley, N. Illing
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Academy of Science of South Africa 2010-02-01
Series:South African Journal of Science
Online Access:http://192.168.0.121/index.php/sajs/article/view/10020