Sunday, September 19, 2010

An essay on "How to Make an Almond" by Jared Diamond (Part 2)

The almond in particular is a very interesting species.  They have the most prominent change under human domestication.  Wild almond seeds are extremely bitter, and have been changed into a delicious seed eaten by people around the globe.  When in the wild, it has a chemical called amygdalin, which then breaks down to the fatal poison cyanide.  The domestication of wild almonds results in the occasional almond seed that has a mutation in a single gene which stops the creation of the bitter tasting chemical, amygdalin.   Farmers have understood this phenomenon and took advantage of the one mutant almond seed, planting it, growing into a non-fatal almond tree.  This is yet another example of plant domestication by humans, utilizing the best of what nature can offer, grasping the opportunities as they arrive and building upon them.
Throughout history, plant species have undergone special human selection, prioritizing the plantation of the most favorable plants and discarding the rest.  They have also evolved naturally, with the come and go of hungry predators, plant seeds have been carried vast distances to be dispersed through feces matter among other natural phenomenons.  Whether intentional or unintentional, the domestication of plants has helped the human race survive, and has provided us with a reliable, nutrient-sustainable food source.  

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