What adaptations should one expect of the seed coats of angiosperm species whose seeds are dispersed by frugivorous (fruit-eating) animals, as opposed to angiosperm species whose seeds are dispersed by other means?
1. The exterior of the seed coat should have barbs or hooks.
2. The seed coat should contain secondary compounds that irritate the lining of the animal's mouth.
3. The seed coat should be able to withstand low pH's.
4. The seed coat, upon its complete digestion, should provide vitamins or nutrients to animals.
5. The seed coat should be resistant to the animals' digestive enzymes.
A) 4 only
B) 1 and 2
C) 2 and 3
D) 3 and 5
E) 3, 4, and 5
Structure of an ovule developing into a seed.
These species are all at risk of extinction.
A small sample of the great diversity of seed sizes and shapes.
Vesalius’s De Humani Corporis Fabrica was an important early work on the human species.
Evolution of Vertebrate Species