An Integrated Hypothesis on the Domestication of Bactris gasipaes

Peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) has had a central place in the livelihoods of people inthe Americas since pre-Columbian times, notably for its edible fruits and multi-purposewood. The botanical taxon includes both domesticated and wild varieties. Domesticated vargasipaes is believed to derive from one or more of the three wild types of var. chichaguiidentified today, although the exact dynamics and location of the domestication are stilluncertain. Drawing on a combination of molecular and phenotypic diversity data, modelingof past climate suitability and existing literature, we present an integrated hypothesis aboutpeach palm’s domestication. We support a single initial domestication event in south west-ern Amazonia, giving rise to var. chichagui type 3, the putative incipient domesticate. Weargue that subsequent dispersal by humans across western Amazonia, and possibly intoCentral America allowed for secondary domestication events through hybridization with res-ident wild populations, and differential human selection pressures, resulting in the diversityof present-day landraces. The high phenotypic diversity in the Ecuadorian and northernPeruvian Amazon suggest that human selection of different traits was particularly intensethere. While acknowledging the need for further data collection, we believe that our resultscontribute new insights and tools to understand domestication and dispersal patterns of thisimportant native staple, as well as to plan for its conservation.