Researchers report that Neotropical fruit species in Central and South America--such as cacao and cashew relatives--that have been part of the diets of humans and now-extinct megafauna have larger geographic and climatic ranges on average than species that were part of megafauna diets but not human diets, suggesting that human use of Neotropical fruit species has contributed to the expansion of these species' ranges and to the maintenance of their genetic diversity.
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Article #17-18045: "Human diets drive range expansion of megafauna-dispersed fruit species," by Maarten van Zonneveld et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Maarten van Zonneveld, World Vegetable Center, Shanhua, TAIWAN; tel: +886-900-620-553; e-mail: < maarten.vanzonneveld@worldveg.org >
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences