These data files contain seed traits from three sources, 1) seed traits from "Seeds of Amazonian Plants", 2) Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Seed Information Database, and 3) seeds dissected from field collections of primate feces and dung balls from dung beetles. The dataset was used in the article published in Biotropica entitled "Seed size and pubescence facilitate secondary dispersal by dung beetles". The data mostly describes seed traits of morphospecies within the feces of brown-headed spider monkeys (Ateles fusciceps) and mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata). Traits included in the data set are size, surface, length, width, shape, color, and dispersal by mammals. 

1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data:

1.  The data file "Seed Traits.csv" was generated from the key in: Cornejo, F., & Janovec, J. (2010). Seeds of Amazonian plants. Princeton University Press.
2. The data file "dispersal syndromes KEW.csv" was generated from Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (2020). Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1. https://data.kew.org/sid/. The dispersal data for each non-wind-dispersed genus included in "Seeds of Amazonaian Plants", was matched against the SID, to extract dispersal information, and then a logical variable created "YES/NO", for mammal dispersal.
3. Data from the remaining data files was generated from monkey fecal samples, and dung beetle dung balls collected in the field. 

2. Methods for processing the data:

1. The seed traits from the "Seed Traits.csv" file are all taken from the genus identification key, using the characters defined by the book, size, shape, color, and surface. Some genera have more than one combination of characters.
2. For the data file "dispersal syndromes KEW.csv" dispersal data for each none wind dispersed genus included in "Seeds of Amazonaian Plants", was matched against the SID, to extract dispersal information, and then a logical variable created "YES/NO", for mammal dispersal.
3. Remaining data files are from field-collected data. In the field, the monkey species that produced the feces was identified, and if the sample was a dung ball, the beetle was collected with the ball for identification. Fecal samples and dung balls were dissected to remove the seeds. The seeds were then grouped by morphospecies and identified to genus as well as possible. Seed length and width were measured and the seed surface was characterized.

Please read the README_SeedTraitsofSeedsDispersedbyDungbeetlesandPrimates.txt file.