Articles tagged with Crop Domestication
A new research assesses conservation gaps of crop wild relatives, finding that 54% are high-priority for collection to improve yields and resilience. The study highlights the importance of collecting wild plants in countries like Australia, Bolivia, China, and Italy.
Evolutionary biologist Kenneth Olsen has examined the genetics of hull color in rice, finding that different mutations underlie the emergence of traits in both cultivated and weedy forms. The findings suggest that crops reverted to wild forms by reversing genetic changes, but with a more complex history than initially thought.
A new US inventory of crop wild relatives has identified nearly 4,600 species, including close relatives of sunflower, bean, sweet potato, and strawberry. The findings highlight the need for conservation efforts to protect these species from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.
Researchers found that ancient farmers had a stronger impact on maize evolution than modern breeders. The study analyzed genomic variation in maize, providing critical insights for increasing corn yield to meet growing global demand.
Researchers identify Sh1 gene as key control point for seed shattering in sorghum, finding parallel selection across multiple cereals. The study provides insights into the domestication process of crops like rice and maize, with implications for breeding and increasing crop yields.
Scientists uncover evidence of punctuated evolution in ancient Egyptian cotton, suggesting rapid change over a short period. The findings shed light on agricultural development in the ancient world and provide insights for modern agriculture.
Perennial crops retain significant genetic variation, closer to their wild counterparts than annuals. Long-lived species have fewer sexual cycles due to clonal propagation, resulting in lower genetic change.
Scientists have pinpointed a key genetic change that enabled the domestication of corn from its wild relative teosinte. A jumping gene insertion about 23,000 years ago increased the expression of a gene affecting plant architecture, leading to larger ears with more kernels.
A study on Miscanthus species reveals their potential as high-yield energy crops capable of growing on marginal land. The authors found that wild populations have genetic variation and adaptation that could provide valuable resources for the development of bioenergy crops.
A team led by Fabiola Parra has successfully traced the domesticated Gray Ghost Organ Pipe (Stenocereus pruinosus) to its living ancestral species in Mexico's Tehuacán Valley. Genetic analysis reveals evidence of artificial selection, increasing genetic diversity among cacti grown using traditional methods.
A QTL mapping study reveals that only modest genetic modifications are needed to convert a wild plant to a crop, with some major transitions achievable by a single change. The genetic evidence supports the archeological view of gradual and dispersed domestication.
Dr. Marina Dermastia and colleagues discovered similarities between maize and teosinte kernel development, overturning previous assumptions about domestication. The team found traits like programmed cell death, sugar flow control, and endoreduplication that are common to both crops, suggesting they evolved independently.
Researchers uncover evidence that chiles were independently domesticated multiple times from geographically distant wild progenitors, resulting in unique gene pools and important reservoirs of genetic diversity. Domesticated individuals exhibit reduced genetic diversity compared to semiwild populations.
A team of scientists led by Dolores Piperno has discovered the earliest evidence of maize domestication in the New World, dating back to 8,700 years ago. The research confirms that maize originated from a wild plant called teosinte and was first domesticated in tropical southwest Mexico.
Researchers found evidence of maize and squash domestication in the Xihuatoxtla Shelter in southwestern Mexico, dating back 9,000 years. The findings contradict previous assumptions that maize domestication occurred in highland areas.
Researchers discovered the earliest dated evidence of domesticated maize, dating back over 8,700 years to Mexico's Central Balsas River Valley. The team found maize starch and phytoliths in grinding tools and lake sediments, confirming that maize was derived from teosinte.
A new mathematical model developed by researchers at the University of Warwick suggests that plant agriculture began much earlier than previously thought, around 23,000 years ago. The study found that useful gene types took thousands of years to become stable and that crop development was a slow process.
A team of scientists has used paleobotanical evidence, genetic analysis, and microbotanical techniques to reconstruct the early history of maize agriculture. They suggest that maize may have been domesticated in Mexico around 10,000 years ago, based on findings from sediments at San Andrés, Tabasco.
Researchers confirm ancient sunflower domestication in Mexico dating back 4,000 years, contrary to previously believed eastern North American origin. This discovery highlights the importance of sunflower as a major oil seed crop and its potential for modern crop-breeding purposes.
Researchers confirm that farmers domesticated sunflowers in Mexico by 2600 B.C., contradicting the theory that they were introduced from eastern North America. The study's findings are based on physical evidence of early domesticated remains and linguistic traditions.
Ancient people in Panama processed domesticated plants like maize, manioc, and arrowroot at least 7,800 years ago, revealing an earlier practice of farming than previously thought. This discovery confirms the importance of starch grain analysis as a method for studying human subsistence practices in tropical forests.
Researchers found genetic markers revealing the origins of two major rice types grown today: Oryza sativa indica from India and Myanmar, and Oryza sativa japonica from southern China. The study's findings provide insights into improving the crop's nutritional value and disease resistance in Asia.
Researchers found evidence of ancient fig domestication at Gilgal I site, suggesting humans selectively propagated a parthenocarpic mutant around 11,400 years ago. This marked the beginning of agriculture and a significant change in human history.
Researchers pinpointed a single base pair mutation in DNA that causes non-shattering rice varieties, allowing for effective field harvests. This discovery will benefit the world by improving yields and sustainability of food crops, particularly rice, which is staple food for over half of the global population.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis report that Central American farmers have preserved genetic variation in the jocote by growing it locally for family consumption. This practice, despite large-scale deforestation, has helped maintain diversity in the species through multiple domestications.
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have isolated the ramosa1 gene, which controls flower-bearing branch arrangement in corn. This gene played a key role in suppressing branching in early domesticated corn, leading to straight rows of kernels and compact ears. The study also reveals that plants with different levels of ramosa1...
Researchers found starch grains from barley and wheat on a grinding stone at Ohalo II, dating back 13,000-45,000 years. This discovery suggests that people processed these grains to make them more digestible around 14,800 years ago.
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a method to identify genes in tree species, paving the way for domesticated trees. This breakthrough aims to reduce the need for logging wilderness areas by producing ideal characteristics such as insect resistance or improved wood properties.
Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute have discovered evidence of early domestication of wild squash varieties in coastal Ecuador dating back to around 12,000 years ago. The phytoliths found in these ancient fruits suggest a significant shift towards more productive agricultural practices among hunter-gatherers.
Researchers have identified a single genetic locus in the squash genus Cucurbita that controls phytolith production and plant defense. This discovery will help archaeologists determine whether ancient plants were domesticated or wild varieties by analyzing their phytolith content and cell configurations.
Scientists have identified a genetic marker that points to Mexico as the origin of domesticated squash, contradicting previous theories. The study used mitochondrial DNA genetic markers to analyze the relationships between wild and domesticated Cucurbita pepo populations.
Researchers from Temple University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute found starch grains on stone tools in Panama dating back nearly 7,000 years. This direct evidence suggests that farming was taking place in tropical America earlier than previously thought.
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have created a 'map' of the wild emmer wheat genome, revealing hundreds of unique DNA sequences on 14 chromosomes. This new understanding will aid in breeding better wheat crops and shed light on the evolution of wheat.
Biologists at Washington University pinpointed cassava's origins to southern border of the Amazon River basin in Brazil using DNA sequencing techniques. The study reveals genetic diversity in wild and domesticated cassava strains, providing insights into crop improvement.