Evolutionary ecology of pungency in wild chilies

摘要: The primary function of fruit is to attract animals that disperse viable seeds, but the nutritional rewards beneficial consumers also kill seeds instead dispersing them. Many these unwanted are microbes, and microbial defense commonly invoked explain bitter, distasteful, occasionally toxic chemicals found in many ripe fruits. This explanation has been criticized, however, due a lack evidence influence chemistry wild populations. In present study, we use chilies show chemical reflects variation risk attack. Capsaicinoids responsible for well known pungency chili Capsicum chacoense naturally polymorphic production capsaicinoids displays geographic proportion individual plants population produce capsaicinoids. We this directly linked damage caused by fungal pathogen seeds. find Fusarium fungus cause predispersal seed mortality, experimentally demonstrate protect from Fusarium. Further, foraging hemipteran insects facilitates entry into fruits, pressure among populations predicts producing These results suggest may be an adaptive response selection pathogen, supporting on chemistry.