Functional Extinction of Birds Drives Rapid Evolutionary Changes in Seed Size

摘要: Local extinctions have cascading effects on ecosystem functions, yet little is known about the potential for rapid evolutionary change of species in human-modified scenarios. We show that functional extinction large-gape seed dispersers Brazilian Atlantic forest associated with consistent reduction size a keystone palm species. Among 22 populations, areas deprived large avian frugivores several decades present smaller seeds than nondefaunated forests, negative consequences regeneration. Coalescence and phenotypic selection models indicate most likely occurred within past 100 years, human-driven fragmentation. The fast-paced defaunation vertebrates causing unprecedented changes trajectories community composition tropical forests.