Abstract
The domestication of plants, an evolutionary process of importance worldwide, has been widely studied in annual species but very little in perennial species, especially fruit trees. Most studies of domestication have focused on the comparison of morphological characteristics between wild and cultivated populations and on patterns of evolution of phenotypic characteristics that are under selection, known as the domestication syndrome. The objective of this research was to investigate the domestication status of populations of Huaya India (Melicoccus oliviformis, Sapindaceae) in the Yucatan Peninsula using ethnobotanical and morphological evidence. The species is cultivated in both rural and urban communities in this area, and wild populations of Huaya India are found surrounding these sites. We gathered ethnobotanical data by conducting semi-structured interviews and through participatory observation. For each fruit, sugar content and morphological characteristics were measured in situ. The results show the Huaya India presents minimal differences between wild and cultivated fruits in characteristics that are often associated with domestication (weight, length, fruit diameter, exocarp thickness, and sugar content). We attribute these results to the unconscious management to which this species has been and continues to be subjected by the inhabitants of the Maya communities, but further study is needed to determine the extent to which the observed differences reflect genetic differences due to human selection, environmental effects, or a combination of the two.
La domesticación de las plantas, un proceso evolutivo de importancia mundial, ha sido ampliamente estudiado en especies anuales pero muy poco en especies perennes, especialmente árboles frutales. La mayoría de los estudios de domesticación se han centrado en la comparación de las características morfológicas entre las poblaciones silvestres y cultivadas y en los patrones de evolución de las características fenotípicas que se encuentran bajo selección, conocido como el síndrome de domesticación. El objetivo de este trabajo fue investigar el estado de domesticación de la Huaya India (Melicoccus oliviformis, Sapindaceae) en la Península de Yucatán, utilizando evidencia etnobotánica y morfológica. Esta especie es cultivada en las comunidades rurales y urbanas de esta área, y sus poblaciones silvestres se encuentran alrededor de las comunidades rurales. Se obtuvieron datos etnobotánicos mediante entrevistas semi-estructuradas y la observación participativa. Para cada fruto, el contenido de azúcar y las características morfológicas se midieron in situ. Los resultados muestran que la huaya india presenta diferencias mínimas entre los frutos silvestres y cultivados en características que a menudo se asocian con la domesticación (peso, longitud, diámetro del fruto, grosor de exocarpo y contenido de azúcar). Atribuimos nuestros resultados a la selección inconsciente a la que esta especie ha sido y sigue siendo sometida por los habitantes de las comunidades Mayas, pero se necesitan más estudios para determinar en qué medida las diferencias observadas reflejan diferencias genéticas debido a la selección humana, efectos ambientales, o una combinación de ambos factores.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank UC MEXUS-CONACYT Mexico for the economic support to carry out this research. The first author thanks CONACYT-Mexico for the scholarship for her postgraduate studies. DP’s contributions were partly supported by funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project number CA-D-PLS-6273-H. The authors thank Gabriel R. Dzib for the support obtained in the field.
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Jiménez-Rojas, M.I., Andueza-Noh, R.H., Martínez-Castillo, J. et al. Management and Cultivation of the Huaya India (Melicoccus oliviformis Kunth) on the Yucatan Peninsula. Econ Bot 73, 429–442 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-019-09470-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-019-09470-3