An Advantage of Large Seed Size: Tolerating Rather than Succumbing to Seed Predators¹

Although large seeds might be more attractive and apparent to seed predators, large seed size could enable tolerance of seed predators. If seeds are large enough to sustain damage that would kill smaller seeds yet still produce viable seedlings, investment above the minimum by the maternal plant could be advantageous. I tested this hypothesis by removing 0–80 percent of the cotyledons of four large‐seeded (4–180 g) tree species from Papua New Guinea and monitoring germination and seedling growth for eight months. All species showed little negative effect on seedling size with up to 50 percent removal of cotyledons and the larger species showed a less serious effect on growth than smaller‐seeded species above 50 percent removal. Large‐seeded species clearly have more than the minimum‐required cotyledonary reserves. Observations of viable seedlings with heavily damaged cotyledons suggest that these species withstand attack by rodents and beetles by virtue of their large size.