Unlocking Wheat Evolution: How Demographic Changes Can Play a Telling Role
In a new study, scientists have identified a key role that demography plays in the evolution of wheat. The research, published in the journal Nature Plants, has implications for understanding how crops, such as wheat, respond to the changing environment.
Scientists have long known that changes in the environment can influence the evolution of crops. But this new study demonstrates how demographic changes, such as population size and composition, can also play an important role. The researchers studied two wild wheat species, Aegilops tauschii and Triticum monococcum, and compared how changes in population size and composition affected their genetic diversity. They found that the dynamics of population size and composition had a major impact on the genetic diversity of the wheat species. This suggests that demographic changes, such as population size and composition, can be an important factor in how wheat evolves over time.
source: Phys.org