“Redirecting” the Study of Mutualistic Benefits To Plants In Myrmecochory

Myrmecochory is typically cast as a mutualistic relationship in which seed dispersal of plants with elaiosome-bearing seeds is performed by ants. Benefits of this mutualism may seem simple at first: ants gain a nutritive reward via elaiosomes, while plant propagules gain protection and a more suitable microsite for establishment and growth. However, there is growing literature suggesting that ants may not consistently receive benefits from elaiosome-based diets, and studies depicting plant benefits are constrained by the “ideal” model framework, by temporal limitations, and by limitations of sources of mortality that have typically been investigated. Furthermore, from the plant perspective, many key parts as well as inconsistencies within this more complex process have not been well explored. Here, I provide a more realistic guiding framework and identify where research needs to be further conducted and what questions should be answered to better address the positive mechanistic role ants may play in this quintessential mutualism.

undergraduate thesis