Question

Description acceptable. A 2008 paper by Ran Nathan references a skate’s mermaid purse as a vector of this process’s non-standard LDD subtype, which “breaks the rules” by occurring more frequently than expected. In rainforests, the Janzen-Connell hypothesis links greater success in this process to less predation and greater survival. Nutritious elaiosomes attract ants in a form of this process that ends in the colony’s refuse midden. Either turgor pressure or tension caused by desiccation can lead to a non-fungal “ballistic” form of this process, as seen in the (*) sandbox tree. “Winged” samaras and the pappas of dandelion clocks (10[1])facilitate this non-germination process, (10[1])which is triggered by fire in some serotinous plants. Squirrels engage in this process when they abandon acorn stashes. For 10 points, wind and defecating animals are vectors for what process in which a parent plant spreads its embryos? ■END■

ANSWER: seed dispersal [accept answers that indicate seeds being transmitted, deposited, blown, launched, exploded, etc. away from their parent plant; accept planting seeds or trees or plants; prompt on dispersal; prompt on reproduction]
<KT, Biology>
= Average correct buzz position

Back to tossups

Buzzes

PlayerTeamOpponentBuzz PositionValue
Steven YuanBerkeley BStanford A9710
Shahar SchwartzBerkeley ABerkeley C10110