Question

Weed seed dispersal by ants is called as:

• A. Exozoochory
• B. Autochory
• C. Myrmecochory
• D. Herpochory

Hint:

Break the word down: the Greek root for ant is myrmex, combined with the dispersal suffix -chory.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Weed seeds spread from the mother plant to new locations through several dispersal mechanisms, and each mechanism is named after the agent that carries the seed. When the dispersal agent is an animal, the name is usually built from the Greek root for that animal plus "-chory", the general term for seed dispersal.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Ants (myrmex in Greek) are a specific animal dispersal agent, and the technical term for seed dispersal specifically carried out by ants combines "myrmec-" with "-chory" to give "myrmecochory".

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Many weed and plant seeds carry a small fat rich appendage called an elaiosome, which ants find attractive as food. Ants carry these seeds back to their nests, eat the elaiosome, and discard the seed intact nearby, effectively dispersing it, which is the process called myrmecochory.
Exozoochory refers to seed dispersal by animals carrying seeds attached externally to fur, feathers or skin, not specifically by ants. Autochory refers to a plant dispersing its own seeds without any external agent, for example by explosive pod splitting. Herpochory refers to dispersal by crawling movement over the ground surface (creeping dispersal), which is also distinct from ant mediated dispersal.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Weed seed dispersal by ants is called myrmecochory.