Domestication of the Amazonian fruit tree cupuaçu may have stretched over the past 8000 years

This study investigates the domestication history of cupuaçu (*Theobroma grandiflorum*), an Amazonian fruit tree closely related to cacao. Using genomic analysis from four sites in Brazil, the research indicates that cupuaçu is a domesticated variant of its wild relative, cupuí (*T. subincanum*), likely originating from the Middle-Upper Rio Negro basin. A genetic bottleneck suggests a first domestication phase 5000–8000 years ago, with a second phase occurring in the modern era, coinciding with increased geographic distribution. The findings highlight the influence of both pre-Columbian and modern histories on the genetic diversity and distribution of domesticated plants in Amazonia.

Matheus Colli-Silva, James E. Richardson, Eduardo G. Neves, Jennifer Watling, Antonio Figueira, José Rubens Pirani