Plant Evolution and the Origin of Crop Species, 2nd Edition

Plant Evolution and the Origin of Crop Species, 2nd Edition

by J F Hancock, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, USA

Pub Date: November 2003
Hardback
336 pages

Readership
Advanced students and postgraduates studying in the areas of plant evolutionary biology, ethnobotany, genetics and crop breeding.

Main Description
This unique volume combines discussion of plant evolution with that of crop origins. The first edition was published in 1992 by Prentice-Hall, and has now been fully revised to reflect recent advances. This updated version also encompasses greater integration of the information on evolution and crop origins.
A description of the process of evolution in native and cultivated populations of plants is incorporated, plus a review of when and where major crops were domesticated and discussions of the subsequent development of crops over time.

Reviews
• "All in all I found this book most interesting, and a very good textbook for all kinds of students and scholars in botany, agricultural sciences, biodiversity issues, (pre)history and the like. It is highly recommended."
Marco Roos, Blumea, 50(2), 2005
• "Hancock has done an admirable job of incorporating current literature while still retaining the historical context. This volume is highly recommended."
Theresa M Culley, The Quarterly Review of Biology, 79(3), 2004
• "I recommend the book as a first reference on a number of topics. It is well written and it is certainly comprehensive."
Gregory J Anderson, American Journal of Botany, 92(1), 2005

Main Contents
Part I: Evolutionary Processes
1. Chromosome structure and genetic variability
• Gene and chromosomal structure
• Types of mutation
• Measurement of variability
• Construction of genetic maps and genome evolution
2. Assortment of Genetic Variability
• Random mating and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
• Migration
• Selection
• Genetic Drift
• Evolution in organelles
• Interaction between forces
3. The Multifactoral Genome
• Intra-genomic interactions
• Coadaptation
• Canalization
• Paradox of coadaptation
4. Polyploidy and gene duplication
• Factors enhancing the establishment of polyploids
• Evolutionary advantages of polyploidy
• Genetic differentiation in polyploids
• Chromosomal repatterning
• Genome amplification and chance
5. Speciation
• What is a species?
• Reproductive isolating barriers
• Modes of speciation
• Genetic differentiation during speciation
• Hybridization and introgression
• Hybridization and extinction
• Crop-weed hybridizations
• Risk of transgene escape into the environment
Part II: Agricultural Origins and Crop Evolution
6. The Origins of Agriculture
• Rise of our food crops
• Emergence of Homo
• Evolution of Homo
• Appearance of modern humans
• Spread of H. sapiens
• Agricultural origins
• Early crop dispersals
• Transcontinental crop distributions
7. The Dynamics of Plant Domestication
• Evolution of farming
• Early stages of plant domestication
• Origins of crops
• Characteristics of early domesticants
• Changes during the domestication process
• Genetic regulation of domestication syndromes
• Evolution of weeds
• Genetic diversity and domestication
• Domestication and native diversity patterns
8. Cereal grains
• Barley
• Maize
• Millets
• Oat
• Rice
• Rye
• Sorghum
• Wheat
9. Protein Plants
• Chickpea
• Cowpea
• Pea
• Lentil
• Phaseolis beans
• Faba beans
• Soybean
10. Starchy Staples and Sugars
• Banana
• Cassava
• Potato
• Sugarcane
• Sugar beet
• Sweet potato
• Taro
• Yam
11. Fruits, Vegetables, Oils and Fibers
• Apples
• Citrus
• Grape
• Peach
• Strawberry
• Cole crops
• Squash and gourds
• Chili peppers
• Tomato
• Cotton
• Groundnut
• Sunflower
12. Postscript: Germ-plasm Resources
• Ex situ conservation
• In situ conservation
References
Index