Comparative morphology of chenopodium berlandieri seeds and fruits from cowboy cave, Utah: implications for cultivation and domestication

The ancient shift from collecting and gathering native plants to the cultivation and domestication of those species was one of the most significant evolutionary transitions in human history. Due to recent advancements in archaeological techniques, the geographic occurrences of prehistoric plant cultivation and domestication around the world can be accurately and reliably recorded. This study investigates Colorado Plateau as a center for domestication by examining and measuring Chenopodium berlandieri seeds and fruits recovered from Cowboy Cave, an archaeological site in south-central Utah. An increase in seed diameter and a decrease in seed coat thickness of archaeological C. berlandieri through time are onsidered morphological indicators of domestication for this study. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to measure seed diameters and seed coat thicknesses of archaeological and modern reference C. berlandieri seeds and fruits. Although no evidence for domestication of C. berlandieri was found with in the samples analyzed, interesting patterns emerged when archaeological measurements were compared to the modern reference material. These patterns and possible future directions for this study are discussed.