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Random questions come up when talking with friends - such as this one!

We were curious: what are watermelon rinds good for? So what benefits does it give the watermelon? Why did mother nature give it such protection?

Kezer
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  • I apologize if this should not be the right forum to ask such a question. – Kezer Aug 11 '19 at 15:44
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    If it didn't have a rind, the water inside would easily evaporate. – jamesqf Aug 11 '19 at 17:54
  • Thank you for the reply, jamesqf. Also @downvoter, care to explain the downvote?... – Kezer Aug 11 '19 at 20:27
  • Possibly because you have shown no effort at prior research... – Solar Mike Aug 11 '19 at 20:51
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    @Solar Mike: I don't know if you could really do research on a question like this. Perhaps you could look at the evolution of melons (perhaps the water-containing flesh helped the seeds to sprout in their hot native climes?), and then the results of several thousand years of selective breeding by humans. (None of the melons we eat today are what Mother Nature gave us, any more than wheat or corn are.) You might find this interesting: https://hyperallergic.com/226096/the-evolution-of-the-watermelon-captured-in-still-lifes/ – jamesqf Aug 12 '19 at 04:21
  • @jamesqf So you have answered your own question : Yes you can do research on watermelons... I was guessing as for the reason for the downvote unless you missed that. PS, I was not the downvoter... – Solar Mike Aug 12 '19 at 06:13
  • @Solar Mike: While interesting, none of that really answers the OP's question. It's like any "why" question in evolution: you can come up with a "Just So" story, but the only real explanation is that it (and previous changes) worked, so proto-melons survived. – jamesqf Aug 12 '19 at 17:02

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You have answered the question yourself: it's protection.

Melons have originated in what is today South-Eastern Africa and Western India according to this source. In a hot and rather dry climate having a watery fruit can bring an advantage to the seeds (helping them to sprout in an otherwise dry soil). At the same time, any source of water would attract animals eating the fruit. A shell would protect the seeds during the ripening process like the shell of a nut prevents it from being eaten.

On the other hand, animals eating the melon might actually be desired, since fruit eating herbivores help spreading the undigested seeds. The shell would then especially protect the watery flesh from water evaporation or predators who are not helping to distribute the seeds. A ripe melon opens up and releases the seeds from their protective shell.

Frieke
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