Origins and Domestication of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). The state of the art and the study perspectives

Gros-Balthazard, Muriel; Newton, Claire; Ivorra, Sarah; MargaretaTengberg,; Pintaud, Jean‐Christophe; Terral, Jean‐Frédéric

doi:10.4000/ethnoecologie.1524

Cited by 18 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Based on the presence of seeds only, several authors have proposed the domestication of certain fruit species (Rivera and Walker 1989;Buxó 1997). Moreover, different morphological criteria for distinguishing between wild and cultivated seeds have been also put forward relating to Olea (Terral et al 2004), Vitis (Stummer 1911;Mangafa and Kotsakis 1996;Bouby et al 2013;Ucchesu et al 2016) and Phoenix (Gros-Balthazard et al 2013, 2016. Likewise, substantial work on the genetics of Vitis and Olea has been carried out (Arroyo-García et al 2006;This et al 2006;Cappellini et al 2010;Besnard et al 2011;Myles et al 2011;Wales et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The beginnings of fruit tree cultivation in the Iberian Peninsula: plant remains from the city of Huelva (southern Spain)

Pérez‐Jordà

Peña‐Chocarro

Fernández³

et al. 2017

Veget Hist Archaeobot

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The beginnings of fruit tree cultivation in the Iberian Peninsula: plant remains from the city of Huelva (southern Spain)

Pérez‐Jordà

Peña‐Chocarro

Fernández³

et al. 2017

Veget Hist Archaeobot

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“…It is therefore difficult to identify truly wild populations, as demonstrated in olive trees [17]. More strikingly, in date palms ( Phoenix dactylifera L., Arecaceae) no wild population has been characterized to date [18–20]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Domestication Syndrome in Phoenix dactylifera Seeds: Toward the Identification of Wild Date Palm Populations

et al. 2016

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Investigating crop origins is a priority to understand the evolution of plants under domestication, develop strategies for conservation and valorization of agrobiodiversity and acquire fundamental knowledge for cultivar improvement. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) belongs to the genus Phoenix, which comprises 14 species morphologically very close, sometimes hardly distinguishable. It has been cultivated for millennia in the Middle East and in North Africa and constitutes the keystone of oasis agriculture. Yet, its origins remain poorly understood as no wild populations are identified. Uncultivated populations have been described but they might represent feral, i.e. formerly cultivated, abandoned forms rather than truly wild populations. In this context, this study based on morphometrics applied to 1625 Phoenix seeds aims to (1) differentiate Phoenix species and (2) depict the domestication syndrome observed in cultivated date palm seeds using other Phoenix species as a “wild” reference. This will help discriminate truly wild from feral forms, thus providing new insights into the evolutionary history of this species. Seed size was evaluated using four parameters: length, width, thickness and dorsal view surface. Seed shape was quantified using outline analyses based on the Elliptic Fourier Transform method. The size and shape of seeds allowed an accurate differentiation of Phoenix species. The cultivated date palm shows distinctive size and shape features, compared to other Phoenix species: seeds are longer and elongated. This morphological shift may be interpreted as a domestication syndrome, resulting from the long-term history of cultivation, selection and human-mediated dispersion. Based on seed attributes, some uncultivated date palms from Oman may be identified as wild. This opens new prospects regarding the possible existence and characterization of relict wild populations and consequently for the understanding of the date palm origins. Finally, we here describe a pipeline for the identification of the domestication syndrome in seeds that could be used in other crops.

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“…(Tengberg 2012). The numerous hypotheses that co-exist today on the origins of its domestication concur on some points but diverge on others (Gros-Balthazard et al 2013).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…One example is provided by the cultivation of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L., Arecaceae), a diecious anemophilous plant domesticated in the Middle East since ancient times and unknown in the wild. Its cultivation is deeply rooted in human history (Tengberg et al 2013). Archaeological remains found in the Middle East demonstrate that the culture of dates began around the late 4th millennium B.C.E.…”

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confidence: 99%

Ethnoécologie de la pollinisation et des pollinisateurs : savoirs et pratiques dans trois sociétés

Roué¹,

Battesti²,

Césard³

et al. 2015

ethnoecologie

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Since the Convention on Biological Diversity entered into force in 1993, its Article 8(j) has become widely known for its recognition of the « knowledge, innovation and practices of indigenous and local communities ». Subsequently, numerous treaties, agreements, and conventions at national and international levels have similarly made reference to the role that indigenous and local knowledge, know-how and practices play in conserving biodiversity. Despite this growing recognition, numerous barriers remain.

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Origins and Domestication of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). The state of the art and the study perspectives

Cited by 18 publications

References 33 publications

The beginnings of fruit tree cultivation in the Iberian Peninsula: plant remains from the city of Huelva (southern Spain)

The beginnings of fruit tree cultivation in the Iberian Peninsula: plant remains from the city of Huelva (southern Spain)

The Domestication Syndrome in Phoenix dactylifera Seeds: Toward the Identification of Wild Date Palm Populations

Ethnoécologie de la pollinisation et des pollinisateurs : savoirs et pratiques dans trois sociétés

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