[HN Gopher] Scientists uncover the ancient origins of baobab trees
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Scientists uncover the ancient origins of baobab trees
Author : NoRagrets
Score : 48 points
Date : 2024-07-29 17:01 UTC (1 days ago)
(HTM) web link (www.smithsonianmag.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.smithsonianmag.com)
| culi wrote:
| TLDR: They originated in Madagascar and two species traveled
| along ocean currents to reach mainland Africa and NW Australia.
| This differs from the prevailing thought that they originated on
| mainland Africa.
|
| What I found surprising was that baobab fruit exhibited
| adaptations that could allow them to travel long distances on the
| ocean and still be viable. I thought such feats were only
| possible by highly specialized plants like coconut and mangroves
| joshuahedlund wrote:
| > two species traveled along ocean currents
|
| Oh interesting! I just started reading _The Monkey 's Voyage:
| How Improbable Journeys Shaped the History of Life_ by Alan de
| Queiroz and I think I'm going to enjoy it as much as _The Song
| of the Dodo_ many years prior. Historical biogeography is very
| fascinating!
| culi wrote:
| Anything placed in the same realm as Song of the Dodo is a
| recommendation I take to heart. Thanks!
| Suppafly wrote:
| >I thought such feats were only possible by highly specialized
| plants like coconut and mangroves
|
| How are those more specialized than baobabs or other
| fruit/seeds in general?
| AlotOfReading wrote:
| Oceanic transport is a viable dispersal mechanic for lots of
| plants. Another family you might not know that uses it are the
| squashes/gourds.
| jl6 wrote:
| Whole pumpkins floating over the sea, or just the seeds? What
| makes them suitable for or likely to be transported across
| the ocean?
| jajag wrote:
| The Nature article is here
| https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07447-4
|
| Somebody (I don't remember who) suggested that Australian Boabab
| trees were potential evidence of the direct population of
| Australia from Africa by a pre-Aboriginal people, based on the
| idea that the fruit of the Boabab tree would be an excellent food
| source for a long cross-ocean crossing, as well as supposed
| "African" characteristics in the Kimberley petrographs found in
| the same area as the trees. The theory is fringe-science at best
| (and I believe slightly offensive to Aboriginals) but I've been
| curious about the origin of the trees since coming across the
| theory. I skimmed through the paper but didn't see any estimate
| for a date for the genetic diversion of the Australian Boababs.
| jamincan wrote:
| Out of curiousity, why would that be considered offensive to
| Australian aboriginals?
| blacksmith_tb wrote:
| It's generally the case that indigenous peoples have their
| own origin stories, which tend to not easily align with
| scientific explanations. Which is tricky because they have
| often experienced colonial exploitation and rejection of
| their cultures, and the science can come off as more of the
| same (even if it's true).
| Suppafly wrote:
| >It's generally the case that indigenous peoples have their
| own origin stories, which tend to not easily align with
| scientific explanations.
|
| This, indigenous people everywhere always claim to be the
| first peoples and that they originated in whatever area
| they are indigenous to, even if it's obviously not true. It
| causes a lot of problems for science because they want to
| claim ownership of bones or artifacts from cultures that
| predate their own and prevent those items from being
| studied.
| jajag wrote:
| The Kimberly rock drawings are some of the oldest in
| Australia, and an intrinsic part of Aboriginal culture in the
| region which they are found. Assigning their origin to a non-
| aboriginal source was considered disrespectful by some.
| sakerbos wrote:
| There was a massive one back in South Africa that must have been
| a thousand years old. Naturally someone put a pub in it. Must
| have been tree-cky.
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