Abstract
Early remains of Helianthus annuus L. unearthed at the San Andrés site in the Gulf Coast region of Tabasco, Mexico, constitute the earliest record of domesticated sunflower. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) age determinations of a large domesticated seed and achene produced dates of 4130 ± 40 years before the present (B.P.) and 4085 ± 50 B.P., respectively. These discoveries challenge the longstanding hypothesis that sunflower was domesticated in eastern North America. Moreover, when considered with other recent discoveries on plant domestication, these data suggest a reconsideration of the idea that the eastern United States was an independent hearth for domestication.
Resumen
Los registros más antiguos del girasol lo constituyen los primeror restos deHelianthus annuus L. desenter-rados en el sitio de San Andrés, Tabasco, en la costa del Golfo de México. Mediante el acelerador de espectrometría de masas se determinó la edad de una semilla grande domesticada y un aquenio se obtuvieron dos fechas de 4130 ± 40 años antes del presente (A.P.) y 4085 ± 50 A.P., respectivamente. Estos descubrimientos ponen en duda la hipótesis de hace tiempo que dice que el girasol fue domesticado en el este de None América. También, cuando se tomaron en cuenta otros descubrimientos sobre domesticatión de plantas, estos datos suguieren una reconsideratión de la idea que el este de los Estados Unidos fue un centro independiente de domesticatión.
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Lentz, D.L., Pohl, M.E.D., Pope, K.O. et al. Prehistoric sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.) domestication in Mexico. Econ Bot 55, 370–376 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02866560
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02866560