FSD 2010 - News

5th International Symposium-Workshop on Frugivores and Seed Dispersal (1985-2010)

Charles R. Darwin 2009 Commemorations

The bicentenary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species are being celebrated by events and publications around the world. (Source Wikipedia). Many events will celebrates Darwin; see Natural History Museum in London. The best we can do to join the commemorations is to cite Darwin himself when writing about Frugivores and Seed Dispersal in “Complex relations of all animals and plants throughout nature” a section of the Chapter 3 - Struggle for Existence of the The Origin of Species : « The missletoe is dependent on the apple and a few other trees, but can only in a far-fetched sense be said to struggle with these trees, for if too many of these parasites grow on the same tree, it will languish and die. But several seedling missletoes, growing close together on the same branch, may more truly be said to struggle with each other. As the missletoe is disseminated by birds, its existence depends on birds; and it may metaphorically be said to struggle with other fruit-bearing plants, in order to tempt birds to devour and thus disseminate its seeds rather than those of other plants. In these several senses, which pass into each other, I use for convenience sake the general term of struggle for existence. ». No need to add more. Everything was there, 150 years ago already. (read more about Means of Dispersal in Chapter 11). Below, a selection of books about Darwin. Click on book to buy them or visit ATBC2008 Association Book shop to find more.

More readings : Darwiniana - About Darwin - Darwin Project Darwin2009