Allometric scaling of seed retention time in seed dispersers and its application to estimation of seed dispersal potentials of theropod dinosaurs

Seed retention time (SRT), the time interval between seed ingestion and defaecation, is a critical parameter that determines the spatial pattern of seed dispersal created by an animal, and is therefore, an essential component of trait-based modelling of seed dispersal functions. However, no simple predictive model of SRT for any given animal exists. We explored the linkage between animal traits and SRT. We collected previously published data on mean SRT for 112 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and fishes and investigated the general allometric scaling of mean SRT with body mass for each taxon. Moreover, we analysed the effects of food habit and digestive strategy on mean SRT for birds and mammals. In general, mean SRT increased with body mass in all four taxa, whereas the pattern of allometric scaling varied greatly among the taxa. Birds had a smaller intercept and larger slope than those of mammals, whereas reptiles had a much larger intercept and smaller slope than those of either birds or mammals. For birds, food habit was also detected as an important factor affecting SRT. We applied the allometric scaling that was obtained for birds to estimate mean SRT of extinct Mesozoic dinosaurs (Theropoda) - few of which are assumed to have acted as seed dispersers. SRT for large carnivorous theropods was estimated to be 4-5 days, when considering only body mass. The present study provides allometric scaling parameters of mean SRT for a variety of seed-dispersing animals, and highlights large variations in scaling among taxa. The allometric scaling obtained could be a critical component of further trait-based modelling of seed dispersal functions. Further, the potential and limitations of the scaling of animal SRT with body mass and a future pathway to the development of trait-based modelling are discussed.