The Surprising Reason Avocado Seeds Are So Enormous
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Chapter 1: The Purpose of Fruits
Fruits serve as nature's method of enticing animals to consume seeds. The objective is for these seeds to travel far from their parent plants, eventually ending up in nutrient-rich environments where they can germinate and thrive, thereby expanding the species' territory.
This concept applies easily to fruits like apples and grapes. However, if you've ever attempted to swallow an avocado seed, you might have encountered a significant issue:
Image by the author. Based on a photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash.
Indeed, that egg-sized seed poses a serious choking hazard.
This leads to some intriguing questions: Why are avocado seeds so alarmingly large? Is it possible that the remains of large animals provide excellent fertilizer for avocado trees? Or could there be another explanation altogether?
Section 1.1: Evolutionary Anachronism
The substantial size of avocado seeds is an example of what scientists call an evolutionary anachronism—a feature that developed to coexist with now-extinct species.
So, what extinct creatures interacted with avocados? It turns out that the megafauna of the Americas, which vanished roughly 10,000 years ago, included massive animals like the Glyptodon, a hefty armored creature akin to a Volkswagen beetle, and the Megatherium, a giant ground sloth reminiscent of Chewbacca, towering over many modern animals.
Image by the author (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Unlike us, these colossal beings could easily consume avocados, seeds and all. Instead of experiencing discomfort, they would happily eat multiple avocados, spreading the seeds throughout the landscape while benefiting from the nutritional value.
Thus, avocados are indeed similar to other delectable fruits. Evolution crafted them to be consumed whole, with seeds, but the consumers intended for them were the large creatures that no longer exist.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Mystery of Survival
If avocados depended on these gigantic animals for seed dispersal, how did they manage to survive after the extinction of megafauna? Clearly, some other method of seed distribution must have emerged.
Section 1.2: Human Intervention
Humans have significantly impacted the planet, leading to the extinction of numerous species, likely including the avocado's large companions. Our arrival in the Americas coincided suspiciously with the decline of the American megafauna. Surprisingly, however, avocados may be one of the few species to have benefited from our presence over the centuries.
While jaguars occasionally munch on avocados, it is improbable that they stepped in as the new seed dispersers. Instead, it seems our ancestors recognized the practicality of gathering avocados, transporting them to new locations, and enjoying them at their convenience. Over time, we learned to cultivate them, ensuring their survival into modern times.
So, in essence, humans played a crucial role in preserving the avocado, yet had we not caused the extinction of megafauna, the avocado might not have needed our assistance at all.
Image by the author. Based on a photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash.
Wrapping Up
Avocados feature large seeds because they were designed to be consumed by enormous animals. With the extinction of these creatures, one might assume the avocado would face extinction as well, due to the absence of a suitable seed distributor. Fortunately, humans have stepped in to fill that role.
Interestingly, the term "avocado" originates from the Aztec word "ahuacatl," which translates to "testicle."
Sources:
- Neotropical Anachronisms: The Fruits the Gomphotheres Ate (pdf)
- How Hungry Humans Saved the Avocado
- The Ecological After-Effects of Megafauna Extinction
Chapter 2: The Science of Avocado Seeds
This video explores the fascinating question of why avocado seeds are so large, delving into their evolutionary significance and how they relate to extinct creatures.
In this video, the truth about growing avocados from seed is revealed, showcasing the journey that takes up to six years.