1. Many plant species have seeds that are dispersed endozoochorically, but their fruits are not particularly attractive to animals.
2. The “Foliage is the fruit” hypothesis proposes that entire biomass of the plant exists to encourage herbivores to eat it, in order to enhance seed intake and dispersal.
3. Results from traditional and molecular methods suggest that traits of Urtica dioica and two other species support the hypothesis, while most plant species tested seem to have a serendipitous character when it comes to dispersal.
The article “Is endozoochoric seed dispersal by large herbivores an evolutionary adaptation? Revisiting the Janzen's ‘Foliage is the fruit’ hypothesis” provides an interesting exploration into the potential evolutionary adaptation of certain plants for endozoochoric seed dispersal by large herbivores. The authors combine traditional and molecular methods to test this hypothesis, with results suggesting that traits of Urtica dioica and two other species support the hypothesis, while most plant species tested seem to have a serendipitous character when it comes to dispersal.
The article is generally well-written and provides a thorough overview of the research conducted on this topic. However, there are some potential biases present in the article which should be noted. For example, there is a lack of discussion regarding possible risks associated with endozoochoric seed dispersal by large herbivores, such as potential damage caused by trampling or overgrazing of vegetation due to increased animal activity in areas where these plants are found. Additionally, there is no mention of any counterarguments or alternative explanations for why certain plants may be adapted for endozoochoric seed dispersal by large herbivores; this could provide further insight into this phenomenon and help strengthen the authors' conclusions. Furthermore, there is no discussion about how these findings may be applicable in other contexts or ecosystems; more research needs to be done in order to determine if these findings can be generalized beyond just European moose populations.
In conclusion, while this article provides an interesting exploration into the potential evolutionary adaptation of certain plants for endozoochoric seed dispersal by large herbivores, there are some potential biases present which should be noted before drawing any definitive conclusions from its findings.