Origins of Cultivated Coconut in the Old World Tropics
Author Information
Author(s): Gunn Bee F., Baudouin Luc, Olsen Kenneth M.
Primary Institution: The Australian National University
Hypothesis
What is the domestication history and population genetic structure of coconuts as it relates to human dispersal patterns?
Conclusion
The study finds evidence for independent origins of coconut cultivation in the Pacific and Indian Ocean basins.
Supporting Evidence
- The study examined 1,322 coconut accessions representing geographical and phenotypic diversity.
- Bayesian analyses revealed two genetically differentiated subpopulations corresponding to the Pacific and Indo-Atlantic oceanic basins.
- Coconuts show evidence of genetic admixture primarily in the southwestern Indian Ocean.
Takeaway
Coconuts were grown in two different places, the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and they have different types because of how people moved them around.
Methodology
The study used ten microsatellite loci to analyze genetic variation in a global collection of coconut germplasm.
Limitations
The GCP/CIRAD collection has left some geographical regions under-represented, particularly the western Indian Ocean.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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