Plants on Mauritius have lost most of their seed dispersers, finds study

Many native animals that disperse plant seeds on the island of Mauritius have gone extinct during the past centuries. This includes iconic species such as the dodo and giant tortoises, now replaced by non-native fruit-eating animal species that have been introduced to Mauritius. However, the newly introduced species are not able to replace the extinct seed dispersers, according to a publication in the renowned scientific journal Nature Communications, to which UvA-IBED researcher W. Daniel Kissling contributed.