Through the ages: a commentary on 'Diversification of quantitative morphological traits in wheat'.

This article discusses the process of crop domestication, specifically focusing on the evolution of wheat. The authors identify four key stages in the evolution of wheat: polyploidy formation, domestication, landrace improvement, and the Green Revolution. They examine the morphological changes that occurred during each stage and highlight the importance of understanding the spatial scale and order in which beneficial agronomic traits arose. The study reveals a complex shift in the structure of wheat throughout evolution, with some traits showing continuity and others exhibiting a reversal in direction. The findings have implications for future crop improvement strategies and highlight the need to consider the genetic basis of traits and the potential challenges in reversing thousands of years of evolution. [Extracted from the article]