Answer to Question #180307 in Evolution for Tristan Barcelo

Question

How did onions evolved through domestications throughout the years? Correct timeline

Answer 1

HOW ONIONS EVOLVED THROUGH DOMESTICATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

The onion's geographical origin is not exactly known, with likely domestication throughout the world since the wild onion is extinct records of using onions in eastern parts of Asia and span western. On most occasions, onions have been described to have originated in the western Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and Iran. There were traces of onions that were recovered from Bronze Age settlements in China. They suggest that onions were used back as far as 5000BC due to their flavour, easy transportation and good storage durability. The ancient Egyptians viewed the onions' spherical shape and concentric rings as symbols of eternal life. Egyptians also used onions during burials, as evidenced by traces of onions found in the eye sockets of Ramesses IV.

Piny, the Elder of the first century AD, wrote about the uses of onions and cabbage in pompeli. He noted down the roman's beliefs about onions' ability to improve ocular ailments, sleep aid, and heal everything from oral sores and toothaches to dog bites, lumbago, and even dysentery. Archaeologists who unearthed Pompeli long after its 79AD volcanic found gardens resembling those in Pliny's detailed narratives. According to texts collected in the fifth and sixth century AD under the authorial aegis of Apicius, onions were used in many Roman recipes.

During the Age of Discovery, the European setters took onions to North America only to discover the plant readily available and in wide use in Native American gastromy.

According to some of the first English colonists' diaries, the bulb onions were one of the first crops planted by the Pilgrim fathers. Therefore, because onions grew wild in various regions, they were probably consumed for thousands of years and domesticated simultaneously worldwide.

References

 Fritsch, R. M.; N. Friesen (2002). "Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy". In H. D. Rabinowitch and L. Currah (ed.). <i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; color:#BB6633;background:white">Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances</span></i>. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing. p. <i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; color:#3366BB;background:white">21</span></i>. <i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; color:#0645AD;background:white">ISBN</span></i> <i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;color:#0645AD; background:white">0-85199-510-1</span></i>.

 Fritsch, R.M.; Friesen, N. (2002). "Chapter 1: Evolution, Domestication, and Taxonomy". In Rabinowitch, H.D.; Currah. L. (eds.). Allium Crop Science: Recent Advances. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing. pp. 9–10. <i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background: white;">ISBN</span></i> <i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;color:#0645AD; background:white">978-0-85199-510-6</span></i>.