Ant-plant symbioses in Africa and the neotropics : history, biogeography and diversity

Symbiotic ant-plant relationships afford an excellent opportunity to analyze the effects of both historical and ecological factors on the evolution of mutualisms. Occurring in tropical forests throughout the world, all myrmecophytic plants provide food and permanent housing to ants; the ants, in turn, are known or presumed to protect their hosts from herbivores or competition or to provision them with nutrients. Despite this underlying similarity, ant-plant symbioses differ in diversity and nature on different landmasses.