Ancient Indian Ocean Corridors
Armchair prehistory — Some thoughts on human nature, past and present
Some thoughts on recent publications in archaeobotany and agricultural origins. Opinions and views on the evolution and history of crops. Memorials of archaeobotanists we have lost. The author's research has previously been supported by grants from the ERC and NERC.
Many have been excited this week about headlines claiming marijuana (Cannabis) was domestication in China 12,000 years (making it the first crop in East Asia). As the reputable journal Nature put it " pot farming first blossomed " in China 12,000 years ago. But was it so? How clear or otherwise in the evidence? Is it really farming? The study by Ren et al in Science Advances paper is important-- it represents the largest collection of Cannabis genomes sequences, it provides some important information on sub
Given how few wild/feral samples that they have can they really rule out multiple domestications. Genetic analyses often err on the side of single origins. Simulation work (Allaby et al 2008 PNAS) have shown that this will be true even for crops with multiple origins, because gene flow among crops of different origins and pruning of lost branches (not sampled or not surviving to present). Their analytical methods are more modern and more sophisticated but I am not sure they can rule out multiple origins, an
Ancient Indian Ocean Corridors
Armchair prehistory — Some thoughts on human nature, past and present