Author Topic: DNA discovery traces most of the world's macadamias back to one tree  (Read 785 times)

pagnr

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'Shocking' DNA discovery traces most of the world's macadamias back to one Australian tree
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-05-30/macadamia-research-nuts/11160786
the race is on to preserve wild macadamia trees to improve traits like disease resistance, size and climate adaptability.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-07-31/wild-macadamias-threatened-species-genetics-amamoor/101276254
« Last Edit: August 01, 2022, 07:29:44 AM by pagnr »

W.

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Re: DNA discovery traces most of the world's macadamias back to one tree
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2022, 10:05:08 PM »
I think scientists are starting to discover this is more common than previously realized, though really it is pretty self-evident. Someone, long ago, finds a tree, bush, or other fruiting plant that has really good fruit, better than he or she has ever tasted from that species. That person takes the seeds or cuttings from that plant to propagate. Seedlings, cutting-grown, and/or grafted plants begin to be spread around. Since this new fruiting plant is better than the old fruiting plants, those old plants are not grown anymore or only grown in very small quantities. After a while, all the plants grown of that particular species are descended from that single, original plant. That is fine, until some pest or disease inevitably discovers that we have created a genetic monoculture of plants very susceptible to pests and diseases.

The process is ongoing as we speak. After all, one can only look a few decades into the future and extrapolate how Zill-developed varieties are likely to become the dominant ones for mangos, sapodillas, Surinam cherries, etc.

pagnr

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Re: DNA discovery traces most of the world's macadamias back to one tree
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2022, 01:24:41 AM »
Yes it must be common with many species, where selections head off into domestication.
It is interesting that Macadamia is a very recent entry into cultivation, and industry expansion. Less than 100 years ??
Also unlike many other fruit or nut species that we can think of, it was not "cultivated" by the original Australians.
Clearly it was eaten by them, nuts collected and traded, and probably stands of trees protected and interacted with for mutual benefit.
Finger limes from similar rainforest areas have been recently introduced to cultivation as multiple varieties selected from the wild trees, and even some X Citrus hybrids produced.

FMfruitforest

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Re: DNA discovery traces most of the world's macadamias back to one tree
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2022, 05:25:56 AM »
Common ancestors help support the theory of Creationism. For me Its a far fetch to believe one species slowly evolves into a completely new species with time…

Pademelon1

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Re: DNA discovery traces most of the world's macadamias back to one tree
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2022, 04:54:41 AM »
It's far-fetched that a species evolves into another over a million years, yet some all-powerful deity zapping everything into existence and everything staying the same isn't?

Common ancestors support the theory of evolution - you can trace the spread of DNA and how it changes.

palmcity

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Re: DNA discovery traces most of the world's macadamias back to one tree
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2022, 01:02:10 PM »
It's far-fetched that a species evolves into another over a million years, yet some all-powerful deity zapping everything into existence and everything staying the same isn't.

What is farther fetched than a Deity???
Why,  Someone believing that a "primordial soup" somehow "sparked" into life.... lol
The only thing that could and can today turn sterile molecules into living, changing organisms is a Deity.
Show me where I'm wrong or make something alive from a "primordial soup"...

https://www.livescience.com/18565-life-building-blocks-chemical-evolution.html
« Last Edit: August 03, 2022, 01:18:20 PM by palmcity »

fruitnut1944

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Re: DNA discovery traces most of the world's macadamias back to one tree
« Reply #6 on: August 03, 2022, 03:59:00 PM »
Just the idea that you can't comprehend things as they are without invoking a super power isn't proof of a Deity. There's not one shred of proof of a Deity.

pagnr

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Re: DNA discovery traces most of the world's macadamias back to one tree
« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2022, 05:22:28 PM »
I don't think it matters if you believe in either Creationism or Evolution.
There are many threatened species in the world today, created or evolved.
I think the majority of members here would agree that plant species sent to near extinction by Human activity,
is a blight on either belief system.