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Genetic consequences of pre‐Columbian cultivation for Agave murpheyi and A. delamateri (Agavaceae)
Author(s) -
Parker Kathleen C.,
Hamrick J. L.,
Hodgson Wendy C.,
Trapnell Dorset W.,
Parker Albert J.,
Kuzoff Robert K.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.3732/ajb.94.9.1479
Subject(s) - agave , biology , genetic diversity , genetic variation , population genetics , genetic variability , population , cultivated plant taxonomy , gene pool , botany , ecology , genotype , biochemistry , demography , sociology , gene
Pre‐Columbian farmers cultivated several species of agave in central Arizona from ca. A.D. 600–1350. Because of the longevity and primarily asexual reproduction of these species, relict agave clones remain in the landscape and provide insights into pre‐Columbian agricultural practices. We analyzed variation in allozyme allele frequencies to infer genetic effects of prehistoric cultivation on Agave murpheyi and A. delamateri , specifically to estimate genetic diversity and structure, to determine whether cultivated populations descended from a single clone, and to examine regional‐scale genetic variation. Agave murpheyi maintained more genetic diversity at the species and population levels than A. delamateri , and A. murpheyi populations typically included more multilocus genotypes. Relict plants from prehistoric fields reflect a more complex history than descent from a single clone; A. murpheyi populations may have included more diversity initially because bulbils (produced routinely in A. murpheyi but not A. delamateri ) and possibly seed would have facilitated transport of genetically diverse planting stock. Genetic variation in both cultigens was lower than in most contemporary commercial crops but similar to that observed in modern traditional agricultural systems.