Abstract Detail

Population Genetics

Croft, Genevieve K. [1], Schaal, Barbara A. [2].

From forests to farmland: genetics and ecology of early domestication in Byrsonima crassifolia (Malpighiaceae).

The rise of agriculture and ensuing domestication of plants and animals was a pivotal step in human history and evolution, permitting population settlement and the rise of civilizations. Domestication causes morphological, genetic, and ecological changes in cultivated plants over time, and is increasingly becoming a model for understanding evolutionary processes. Few studies document the process of genetic and ecological change in species early in domestication, before it has resulted in dependence of plants on humans for survival. In this study, we present genetic data and ecological models derived from “wild” and “cultivated” populations of the incipiently domesticated Neotropical fruit tree, Byrsonima crassifolia (Malpighiaceae), in southeastern Mexico. Byrsonima crassifolia commonly occurs in savannas and dry forests from Mexico to Brazil, and has a long history of cultivation, resulting in phenotypic differentiation of fruit varieties, particularly in Mexico and Brazil. We have developed microsatellite markers for this species, which we use to analyze the genetic relationship between wild populations in dry forests and savannas, and cultivated populations in home gardens and orchards.  

Broader Impacts:

1 - Washington University, Biology, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1137, St. Louis, MO, 63130, United States
2 - Washington University, Department of Biology, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1137, St. Louis, MO, 63130, U.S.A.

Keywords:
domestication
population genetics
Malpighiaceae
tropical dry forest
ecological modeling.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P
Location: Hall A/Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PPG002
Abstract ID:322