One of the oldest crops in the world, the vine has a complex history of evolution and domestication. It originates from 11,000 BC in the South Caucasus. The team of scientists presented the most detailed model of its evolution and the transition of a complex climate.
A research team from different countries used DNA samples from more than 3,500 specimens and presented the most detailed model of grapevine evolution, showing how it survived climate change and harvested genes from Asia due to human migration. SciTechDaily writes about it.
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The vine has a long history as one of the oldest crops in the world. Wine made from grapes was one of the first products to be traded worldwide and played an important role in the exchange of cultures, ideas and religions.
At the end of the Ice Age, the vine descended from the wild vine in Europe. Only a few remnant populations of this wild vine have survived today, and one of them can be found in the Ketch region on the banks of the Rhine between Karlsruhe and Mannheim.
The exact origins of wild vine cultivation and the evolution of thousands of grape varieties remain a lost mystery in prehistory. However, the vine is known to withstand significant climate change and received genetic material from Asia during early human migration. However, the question of whether the grapes used in winemaking and table grapes are of the same origin remains unanswered.
Professor Peter Nick from the Josef-Gottlieb Kelreuter Institute for Plant Science (JKIP) shares: “It’s been known for several years that today’s Silk Road was once faulty. In China, the symbol for alcohol comes from so-called Georgian wine decanters.
Nick’s idea gave impetus to the creation of a 16-country research network; this network provided information not only about wild vines and ancient species from their region, but also about their origin and history. Under the most difficult conditions caused by the global political situation, DNA samples from more than 3,500 grapevines, including more than 1,000 wild species, were sent to the State Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Utilization of Biological Resources at Yunnan Agricultural University.
There, Dr. Under Wei Chen’s guidance, genomes were deciphered and the most detailed model of vine evolution and cultivation to date created. Now the origin of viticulture in the South Caucasus can be dated to before 11,000 BC. This means that wine is older than bread. Viticulture technology spread very quickly from the Mediterranean to the west.
In the shortest possible time, crossing with local wild vines gave a wide variety of grapes, which were propagated with the help of cuttings. About 7,000 years ago, large-fruited species evolved into table grapes in the Middle East.
Researchers have created a worldwide unique collection of European wild grapes and ancient medieval species thought to have been lost a few years ago.
Previously Focus He talked about an incredible Roman Empire-era winery discovered in the Quintilian villa.
They also wrote that the wine will no longer be the same as before. Scientists have described how warming the Earth will change the taste of wine.
Source: Focus
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