Discuss the patterns of evolution of cultivated species and explain the concept of origin and diversity of plant species as to their presence naturally in a specific niche.
processes to protect them from being eaten by the development of various defensive mechanisms such as poisons, bitter substances, etc.? One strategy of survival adopted by many plants is to produce so many seeds that even if most of them are eaten enough will remain to provide for the next generation. And the plants that do this superbly well are grasses. To a lesser extent those that do this quite well are herbaceous legumes. This, then, may be the solution to the problem of how humans began the process of domestication. Hunter-gatherers took and ate the natural surplus and left enough seeds (probably by chance) to provide for the next generation. Later, when non-shattering mutants occurred by chance, these were adopted automatically by the primitive farmers. From this point evolution under domestication began to take place.
As far as can be seen from the literature, Vavilov did not consider these points in any detail. What he did do - and that superbly well - was to pinpoint the exact areas where crop plant diversity showed us the centers of origin of world crops.
Vavilov considered that “as a rule the primary foci of crop origins were in mountainous regions, characterized by the presence of dominant alleles.” In his work entitled The Phytogeographical Basis for Plant Breeding (Vavilov 1935) he summarizes and pulls together all his previous work on centers of origin and diversity. In this he recognizes eight primary centers, as follows.
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processes to protect them from being eaten by the development of various defensive mechanisms such as poisons, bitter substances, etc.? One strategy of survival adopted by many plants is to produce so many seeds that even if most of them are eaten enough will remain to provide for the next generation. And the plants that do this superbly well are grasses. To a lesser extent those that do this quite well are herbaceous legumes. This, then, may be the solution to the problem of how humans began the process of domestication. Hunter-gatherers took and ate the natural surplus and left enough seeds (probably by chance) to provide for the next generation. Later, when non-shattering mutants occurred by chance, these were adopted automatically by the primitive farmers. From this point evolution under domestication began to take place.
As far as can be seen from the literature, Vavilov did not consider these points in any detail. What he did do - and that superbly well - was to pinpoint the exact areas where crop plant diversity showed us the centers of origin of world crops.
Vavilov considered that “as a rule the primary foci of crop origins were in mountainous regions, characterized by the presence of dominant alleles.” In his work entitled The Phytogeographical Basis for Plant Breeding (Vavilov 1935) he summarizes and pulls together all his previous work on centers of origin and diversity. In this he recognizes eight primary centers, as follows.