Frugivory in Myrtaceae in the Americas
nteraction network; Data paper; Myrteae; Dispersion
yrtaceae is one of the richest families in species and plays a crucial role in the ecology of the tropical region, especially in the Americas. The Myrteae tribe, in particular, exhibits a diversity of fleshy fruits that are used as a resource by fauna, while also relying on frugivores for seed dispersal. This plant-animal interaction affects the evolutionary success of both lineages, and it is expected that this relationship explains the high species diversity within this family. Consequently, this dissertation was divided into two chapters. The first chapter aimed to review the consumption of its fruits by animals through a systematic search of the literature in the Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases. A total of 324 sources of information were found, which accounted for 1858 frugivory interactions involving 200 species of the Myrteae tribe and 292 species of frugivores (152 bird species, 106 mammals, 17 fishes, 8 ants, 8 reptiles, and 1 crustacean). Interactions occurred with 19 genera of Myrteae, with Eugenia being the most frequent and diverse (371 records and 65 species). Studies were conducted from Mexico to the southern Americas, covering 18 countries, with a high concentration of studies in Brazil (188 out of 324). In the second chapter, the interaction network formed between consumer groups and Myrteae species was investigated, involving 227 studies that recorded 1044 interactions among 262 animal species and fruits of 166 Myrteae species. Significant modularity was found in the network, and the composition of the 16 modules was discussed. The database contributes to advancing knowledge of Myrteae frugivory interactions in the Americas and identifies knowledge gaps, suggesting directions for future studies. Additionally, analyzing the interaction network from a macroevolutionary perspective will enhance understanding of how the choice of fruits by frugivores may have shaped plant evolution and diversification patterns.