Defaunation of large-bodied frugivores could be causing severe losses of crucial ecosystem functions such as seed dispersal. This study tested whether human-induced defaunation of the Canarian frugivorous lizards altered within-island population connectivity and the amount and large-scale distribution of genetic variation of Neochamaelea pulverulenta, which relies exclusively on these lizards for seed dispersal

In this study the consequences of body-size reduction of Giant Canarian lizards (g. Gallotia, Lacertidae) on the recruitment of Neochamaelea pulverulenta (Rutaceae), an endemic shrub relying exclusively on these frugivores for seed dispersal, are evaluated.