I would guess, but do not know, that it also helps to pace the speed of
fruit consumption. That is, larger animals (the targets for apple-like
fruits) eat things in a few bites, quickly, before polyphenol oxidases
can turn the flavour or create toxic effects. Small animals like insects
and worms however will eat slowly, munching along the surface or
burrowing in. The polyphenol oxidases at these damaged borders will have
lots of time to act and create antinutrients and off-flavours, helping
to limit damage.
I've a feeling this is all legacy stuff from when apples were
crabapples, and as defense mechanisms go may not even be particularly
useful anymore. Especially as we've probably bred effective
polyphenol-oxidase function out of fruit over the years along with all
the other troublingly effective anti-eating mechanisms. :)
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