Seed size and dispersal systems of early cretaceous angiosperms from Famalicao, Portugal

Seeds and fruits of Early Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) angiosperms from th e Famalicao locality in Portugal were analyzed to establish seed and fruit size (volume) distributions and to infer the proportion of animal-dispersed fruits. On the basis of a sample of 106 angiosperm fruit and seed taxa, th e average seed size was 0.78 mm(3) (range 0.02-6.86 mm(3)), whereas the ave rage fruit size was 2.06 mm(3) (range 0.12-8.34 mm(3)). Variation in seed s ize among taxa is smaller than in modern plant communities, but within-taxo n variation is similar to that known for extant plants. No significant diff erence in the size of "fleshy" versus other fruits was observed. The propor tion of fleshy fruits was 24.5%. This high figure was surprising and indica tes that the significance of animal dispersal during an early stage in angi osperm evolution has been underestimated. We suggest that reptiles and mult ituberculates, and perhaps other mammals and birds as well, were the likely seed dispersers and that the early angiosperms from Famalicao probably wer e herbs or small shrubs that inhabited a semiopen coniferous woodland.