Plant Domestication: Wild Date Palms Illuminate a Crop’s Sticky Origins

In a new study, previously unknown populations of wild date palm have been identified in remote areas of Oman. Genomic analyses indicate date palm domestication occurred in the eastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula and reveal substantial subsequent gene flow with African palm populations. In a new study, previously unknown populations of wild date palm have been identified in remote areas of Oman. Genomic analyses indicate date palm domestication occurred in the eastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula and reveal substantial subsequent gene flow with African palm populations.