Seed predation
Seed predation, often also called granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which animals feed mainly on the seeds of plants. Granivores are found across many families of vertebrates, especially mammals and birds, as well as in many groups of insects.
Seed predation is commonly divided into pre-dispersal and post-dispersal predation, which affect the fitness of the parental plant and the dispersed offspring (the seed), respectively. The two types of predation may be mitigated by different strategies. To counter seed predation, plants have evolved both physical (e.g., shape and toughness of the seed coat) and chemical defenses (such as tannins and alkaloids). As plants have evolved seed defenses, seed predators have adapted in response (e.g., becoming able to detoxify chemical compounds). Thus, many examples of coevolution arise from this dynamic relationship.