淀粉化石与美洲辣椒（辣椒属）的驯化和传播

Starch fossils and the domestication and dispersal of chili peppers (Capsicum spp. L.) in the Americas.

作者信息

Perry Linda, Dickau Ruth, Zarrillo Sonia, Holst Irene, Pearsall Deborah M, Piperno Dolores R, Berman Mary Jane, Cooke Richard G, Rademaker Kurt, Ranere Anthony J, Raymond J Scott, Sandweiss Daniel H, Scaramelli Franz, Tarble Kay, Zeidler James A

机构信息

Archaeobiology Program, Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Post Office Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA.

出版信息

Science. 2007 Feb 16;315(5814):986-8. doi: 10.1126/science.1136914.

DOI:10.1126/science.1136914

PMID:17303753

Abstract

Chili peppers (Capsicum spp.) are widely cultivated food plants that arose in the Americas and are now incorporated into cuisines worldwide. Here, we report a genus-specific starch morphotype that provides a means to identify chili peppers from archaeological contexts and trace both their domestication and dispersal. These starch microfossils have been found at seven sites dating from 6000 years before present to European contact and ranging from the Bahamas to southern Peru. The starch grain assemblages demonstrate that maize and chilies occurred together as an ancient and widespread Neotropical plant food complex that predates pottery in some regions.

摘要

辣椒（辣椒属）是广泛种植的食用植物，原产于美洲，如今已融入世界各地的菜肴中。在此，我们报告了一种属特异性淀粉形态类型，它为从考古背景中识别辣椒以及追溯其驯化和传播提供了一种方法。这些淀粉微化石在七个遗址被发现，年代从距今6000年前到欧洲人接触时期，范围从巴哈马群岛到秘鲁南部。淀粉粒组合表明，玉米和辣椒作为一种古老且广泛分布的新热带植物食物复合体共同出现，在某些地区早于陶器出现。