Pine Species with Edible Kernels: Origins, Evolution, and Genetic Diversity
摘要
Pinus is the largest genus of conifers with more than 120 species. Some of the most extended and relevant forest trees in the northern hemisphere are pines. About 30 pine species bear seeds large enough to be collected for human consumption. Those seed kernels, also known as pine nuts, are one of the first known foods of forest-dwelling humans in Eurasia, including Neanderthals. Similarly, ancient American people relied on local pine nuts as a seasonal staple food. This chapter highlights the origin, evolutionary and cultural history and genetic diversity of some of the most relevant ‘stone pines’, namely Pinus pinea from the Mediterranean, Pinus koraiensis from Northeast Asia, and the Mexican Pinus cembroides. Their contrastive history is an example of different evolutionary strategies adopted by tree species.