14 DAY TRIAL // Unraveling the mysteries of one galaxy or another is totally cool and entertaining, but science is pretty much pointless if it does not occasionally focus on figuring out where the things people put in their mouth come from, an international team of researchers seems to think.
Thus, these brainiacs have recently turned their attention to pinning down the birthplace of the domesticated chili pepper and are now pleased to announce that, according to their findings, this plant comes from Mexico.
Specifically, the scientists claim that the chili pepper as we know it was born in central-east Mexico, i.e. in the region spanning from southern Puebla and northern Oaxaca to southeastern Veracruz. From there, it spread to other parts of the world and has come to be the world's most widely grown spice crop.
As detailed by Science Daily, Davis, this investigation into the origin of the domesticated chili pepper boiled down to collecting and analyzing linguistic, ecological, archaeological and genetic data concerning the origin of this spice crop.
Commenting on the importance of this research project, plant scientist Paul Gepts said, “By tracing back the ancestry of any domesticated plant, we can better understand the genetic evolution of that species and the origin of agriculture – a major step in human evolution in different regions of the world.”
Furthermore, “This information, in turn, better equips us to develop sound genetic conservation programs and increases the efficiency of breeding programs, which will be critically important as we work to deal with climate change and provide food for a rapidly increasing global population.”