Posted on 09/04/2009 8:24:28 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The common ancestor of all the Granny Smiths and Cox's Orange Pippins still grows on some of the world's most beautiful but little known mountainsides in the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan.
The discovery of the "Garden of Eden" in Central Asia has triggered efforts to save what remains of the forests, always known for their abundance of wild fruit. Once under assault by Soviet agricultural planners, they are now menaced by the wealth of oil capitalism and as much as 80 per cent has disappeared.
"In earlier historical times there were vast mixed fruit forests across the area," said Dr Barrie Juniper, the Emeritus Reader in plant sciences at Oxford University and author of "The Story of the Apple".
The book describes how he and other researchers used gene sequencing to trace the family of the common or garden apple to the Tian Shan, or Celestial Mountains, on Kazakhstan's border with China.
"There are just a mere handful of fruit forest patches now, and to find them you have to be taken there by someone who knows where they are going."
Dr Juniper's findings came as a surprise. Apples are well known to be among the most easily hybridised of fruits, explaining the many varieties in the world's greengroceries. It was previously thought that different sub-species mutated from wild crab apples.
But genetic comparisons showed that all sweet apples were relatives of the malus sieversii family.
This flourishes uniquely in the northern reaches of the Tian Shan, more sheltered from the harsh sun and deserts of the south.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Pomologists Bite Off More Than They Can Chew With 200-Year-Old Apple Mystery
The Telegraph (UK) | 1-30-2007 | Richard Savill
Posted on 01/29/2007 6:40:07 PM PST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/backroom/1775873/posts
Science Traces Roots Of ‘Traditional English’ Apple Back To Central Asia
The Telegraph (UK) | 2-25-2007 | Richard Gray
Posted on 02/24/2007 7:38:25 PM PST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1790720/posts
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Thanks berosus. |
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I’ve never seen the a peel of that guy.
Malleus Maleficarum...
Yawn
lol
"Pomology" = the study of whinging Englishmen... I like it!!
whinging POM goes to the beach.
(grin!)
Photo of Kazahkastan's Johnny Appleseed:
As to the theory of how they got to Europe, all I have to say is, "Horse-apples!"
Personally, I’m having a hard time believing this guy’s name is “Dr. Juniper”...
“I’d like to welcome the pommy bastard to God’s own Earth, and remind him that we don’t like stuck-up sticky-beaks here.” “Hear! Hear! Well spoken Bruce!”
;’)
Me neither.
A picture of what you get if you hold the tip of your tongue and say “apple.”
That was hard enough, but Barrie Juniper?
“Juniper, Barrie!”
“Present!”
“Juniper, Barrie, you have have been chosen ....”
“OMG! They PICKED ME!”
OMG, the parents must have been drunk.
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