An archaeobotanical contribution to the history of watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (syn. C. vulgaris Schrad.)

@article{Wasylikowa2004AnAC,
  title={An archaeobotanical contribution to the history of watermelon, Citrullus lanatus
(Thunb.) Matsum. \& Nakai (syn. C. vulgaris Schrad.)},
  author={Krystyna Wasylikowa and Marijke van der Veen},
  journal={Vegetation History and Archaeobotany},
  year={2004},
  volume={13},
  pages={213-217}
}
The discovery of several 5000-year old seeds of wild watermelon, Citrullus lanatus, at an archaeological site Uan Muhuggiag in southwest Libya, re-opens the debate on the origin, wild distribution and domestication history of this species. The seeds were found within a plant assemblage of wild seeds and fruits, associated with pottery and bones of domestic animals belonging to Neolithic pastoralists. The presumed wild progenitor of the modern cultivar C. lanatus is today found exclusively in a… Expand
View on Springer
51 Citations
Background Citations
3

51 Citations

Citation Type

Citation Type

The Corsican citron melon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. et Nakai subsp. lanatus var. citroides (Bailey) Mansf. ex Greb.) a traditional and neglected crop
During a collecting mission in Corsica (France) three landraces of citron melon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. et Nakai subsp. lanatus var. citroides (Bailey) Mansf. ex Greb.) were collected in… Expand
Watermelon origin solved with molecular phylogenetics including Linnaean material: another example of museomics.
TLDR
It is implied that sweet watermelon originates from West, not southern Africa as previously believed, and that the South African citron melon has been independently domesticated. Expand
Diversity and origin of cultivated and citron type watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)
TLDR
The cultivated and wild watermelon appear to have diverged independently from a common ancestor, possibly C. ecirrhosus from Namibia, and the most ancient citroides haplotype originated in Swaziland and South Africa resulting in colonization routes from this area all over the world. Expand
Georeferenced phylogenetic analysis of a global collection of wild and cultivated Citrullus species
TLDR
The results support previous findings that revealed C. mucosospermus to be the closest relative to C. lanatus and C. colocynthis and call for further historical and phylogeographical investigations and wider collection of samples in West and northeastern Africa. Expand
Chromosome numbers, Sudanese wild forms, and classification of the watermelon genus Citrullus, with 50 names allocated to seven biological species
TLDR
To help improve Citrullus taxonomy and nomenclature, some 50 scientific names to seven biological species are allocated, chromosome counts are correct, and notes on misidentified germplasms traceable by accession numbers are provided. Expand
A 3500-year-old leaf from a Pharaonic tomb reveals that New Kingdom Egyptians were cultivating domesticated watermelon
TLDR
It is shown that modern cultivars and the ancient plant uniquely share mutations in a lycopene metabolism gene (LYCB) affecting pulp color and a stop codon in a transcription factor regulating bitter cucurbitacin compounds, implying that the plant sequenced had red-fleshed and sweet fruits and that New Kingdom Egyptians were cultivating domesticated watermelons. Expand
Origin and domestication of Cucurbitaceae crops:insights from phylogenies, genomics and archaeology.
TLDR
Insights on cucurbit domestication from new phylogenies, archaeology, and genomic studies are reviewed, suggesting that an annual life cycle may have contributed to domestication. Expand
New insights about economic plants during the 6th–2nd centuries bc in Sardinia, Italy
A research project carried out in Santa Giusta lagoon, Sardinia, since 2005 has revealed the presence of Phoenician and Punic waterlogged archaeological contexts of exceptional importance. Several… Expand
Black Watermelon Bug, Coridius viduatus (F.) (Heteroptera: Dinidoridae) in Hatay Region of Turkey
TLDR
In these studies, it was observed that the pest was able to complete its life cycle when only squirting cucumber and watermelon were used as food sources. Expand
Variability of agro-morphological traits in some Moroccan watermelon landraces (Citrullus lanatus Thunb. Matsum. and Nakai)
A total of five Moroccan landraces and four modern varieties of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) were characterized for morphological characteristics. The experimental design was a randomized complete… Expand
...
1
2
3
4
5
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 13 REFERENCES
The Cucurbitaceae of Southern Africa
TLDR
An investigation into the nature of the bitter principles contained in the fruits and other parts of any species of the Cucurbitaceae in connection with the incidence and occurrence of these substances in certain horticultural varieties and their related wild forms. Expand
Fruits in foundation deposits of two temples
TLDR
Foundation deposits underneath the walls of two temples near Semna, Sudan (c. 1500-1480 BC), included dried plant material, known as funeral gifts in Egyptian tombs, of particular interest. Expand
Palaeobotanical and palynological studies in South Arabia
Abstract The present article is based on the first palaeobotanical studies of sediments at the ancient sea-port of Qana (coastal region of South Yemen, I BC–VI AD), and on the palaeoethnobotanical… Expand
Holocene environments in the central Sahara
TLDR
Palynological investigations of corings in the sebkhas of Taoudenni and Segedim, archaeological excavations and charcoal records give evidence for a northward shift of the desert-savanna boundary to 22°–20° N during the middle Holocene. Expand
Ancient agriculture in Libya: a review of the evidence.
This paper was published as Acta Palaeobotanica, 1995, 35 (1), pp. 85-98. It is also available from http://www.ib-pan.krakow.pl/ibwyd/acta_paleo/act-p35.htm#6. This paper appears in the LRA with the… Expand
PALAEOECOLOGY OF AFRICA AND THE SURROUNDING ISLANDS
This volume contains 14 contributions on topics such as hydrology, palaeontology, pedology, sedimentology and glaciations, Holocene geomorphology, Plio/Pleistocene rift evolution in Sahara, Sahel,… Expand
Pharaoh's Flowers: The Botanical Treasures of Tutankhamun
As the golden face of Tutankhamun was found garlanded with fresh flowers exquisitely preserved for 3,000 years, the plants of ancient Egypt are brought back to life in this botanical exploration of… Expand
Literature on archaeological remains of cultivated plants (1997/1998)
Publications on archaeological remains of cultivated plants have been collected, mainly from 1997, with some earlier and some from 1998. A list is given of the finds according to taxon, country,… Expand
Literatur über archäologische Kulturpflanzenreste (1972/1973)
ZusammenfassungIn Fortsetzung von Bibliographien über archäologische Kulturpflanzenreste wurde die einschlägige Literatur der Jahre 1972/1973 zusammengestellt und der Inhalt der erfaßten 75 Arbeiten… Expand
Domestication of plants in the old world
...
1
2
...