Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
Q120 (IAS/1998) Environment & Ecology › Biodiversity & Protected Areas › Flagship species ecology Answer Verified

A tree species in Mauritius failed to reproduce because of the extinction of a fruit-eating bird. Which one of the following was that bird ?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: B
Explanation

The classic case involves the tambalacoque or ‘‘dodo tree’’ Sideroxylon grandiflorum and the extinct dodo (Raphus cucullatus). Stanley Temple proposed that the tree’s large, hard‑coated seeds required passage through a large frugivorous bird’s gizzard (the dodo) to scarify the endocarp and enable germination; he noted a paucity of juvenile trees after the dodo’s extinction and tested germination by feeding seeds to turkeys. Historical and subsequent analyses link the tree’s decline to the loss of the dodo as an important seed‑processing disperser, making the dodo the fruit‑eating bird implicated in the tree’s reproductive failure.

How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
67%
got it right
✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2009 · Q40 Relevance score: -6.12

The marine animal called dugong which is vulnerable to extinction is a/an:

IAS · 2023 · Q3 Relevance score: -7.12

Consider the following trees : 1. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) 2. Mahua (Madhuca indica) 3. Teak (Tectona grandis) How many of the above are deciduous trees?

IAS · 2022 · Q57 Relevance score: -7.14

Which of the following is not a bird ?

CDS-I · 2017 · Q50 Relevance score: -7.89

Which one of the following statements is not correct?