What proof came from peas?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
January 2, 2003
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading—>Click here.
Assorted Killer Savings Garden Links—>Click here.
Killer Picks: Wollemi Pine, greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century—>Click here.
Double Helix, The Search for Adam, In the Footsteps of Eve, Journey of Man—>Click here.
Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project—>Click here.
The plant that would become the English or garden pea (Pisum sativum Linnaeus) began around 5000 BCE cultivated from Persia to northwestern India. No one knows exactly how the garden pea came into existence for no wild Pisum sativum has been found. The plants are cultigens; they came into existence under the effects of cultivation, the result of centuries of selection by gardeners. Peas are sufficiently different from their forebears to
be classified a species.
Garden peas have never escaped cultivation (become wild) for one important reason. Wild peas like Pisum elatius of the Mediterranean have tough pods; when ripe, the pods explode scattering the peas. The garden pea has a recessive mutation, the 'dpo' gene that keeps the pods intact. (Colorado State University) It is the very uniqueness of pea genes that began the understanding of inherited traits.
It is fortunate that in 1856 Gregor Mendel picked the garden pea for a study of inherited traits. Although Mendel did not know it, peas show traits in a definite dominant/recessive fashion; there is no blending (incomplete dominance) of the traits. In the first hybrid generation (F1), certain traits did not show up. When the F1 peas self-pollinated, the second generation (F2) had some plants with traits not visible in their parents, but were visible in their grandparents.
Mendel continued the generations for the next seven years and noted that traits could be predicted in mathematical ratios. He formed two principles of inheritance. The principle of segregation--hereditary traits are determined by discrete factors that appear in pairs, one from each parent. And the principle of independent assortment--inheritance of a pair of factors for one trait is independent of the simultaneous inheritance of factors for other traits. (Biology of Plants, 5th ed., Raven, Evert, and Eichhorn, 1992)
Mendel was a monk who taught high school science and math. Long before biologists understood the chromosome or defined genetics, Gregor Mendel had the mathematical proof that discrete factors (genes) existed.
Den Virtuella Floran has two photographs of the garden pea taken by Anna-Lena Anderberg. To view the photographs, click on the link:
http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/faba/pisum/pisusat.html
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the images.
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
Pease porrage hot, pease porrage cold What's in a Name? - January 3, 2003
How do sweet peas pollinate? Renfield's Garden - January 15, 2003
Rosary Pea (Abrus precatorius) Plant of the Week - April 7, 2003
How did we get so many varieties from the common bean? Weird Plants - September 20, 2001
Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) Plant of the Week - April 3, 2006
Pride-of-Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) Plant of the Week - October 24, 2005
Killer Savings Links:
Breck's Bulbs -$25 off—>Click here.
Gurney's Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Henry Fields Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Spring Hill Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Gardens Alive! -$20 off—>Click here.
Michigan Bulb -$20 off—>Click here.
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Double Helix
National Geographic®
Trace the quest to solve the scientific riddle of how human traits are passed down from one generation to the next. The story begins in 1856, when the scientist and monk Gregor Mendel begins experiments on pea plants, not knowing that he was about to unlock the first secrets of genetics and change our understanding of heredity forever.
For ages 10 to 14, 64 pages, 8'' x 9 7/8'', Hardcover, © 2006.
Double Helix, Click here.
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What's Inside
Double Helix follows the path to understanding the mysteries of DNA—a twisting quest that will draw young readers into the stories of scientists like Crick and Watson and reveal the discovery's strange connection to the atomic bomb. Author Glen Phelan's accessible text will help readers understand how complex genetic codes distinguish every single individual on Earth. The book also explores the vast range of applications for this landmark biological discovery in areas such as medicine, law, and historical research.
Click here.
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The Search for Adam DVD
National Geographic®
As seen on the National Geographic Channel
Could we all be descendants of an "Adam"? And if Adam existed, who was he, where did he live and what did he look like? Join leading geneticist and National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence, Spencer Wells, as he embarks on a quest to trace every man's family tree back to an ultimate ancestor.
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His extraordinary journey ultimately lands him in Africa where he pinpoints the birthplace of human kind. Using the latest technology in DNA research and forensic anthropology, Wells and others reconstruct the life and face of Adam. Explore a world where science and religion converge as we shed new light on our ancient past in The Search for Adam. Approximately 52 minutes. © 2005
Click here.
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In the Footsteps of Eve
National Geographic®
For Lee Berger, a young American scientist, the story began in 1989 when he first encountered the rich fossil fields of South Africa. Later, along the limestone-rich shores of a South African lagoon, Berger first discovered the unmistakable fossilized footprints of a modern female human. The monumental surprise—and the impetus for this enthralling narrative—comes when Berger realizes that the prints are at least 117,000 years old. Immersing himself in the controversial debate on human evolution, Berger's In the Footsteps of Eve establishes a new view of our origins. 336 pages, 5 3/4'' x 8 3/4'', Softcover© 2001
Click here.
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The Mystery of Eve
Has Berger stumbled upon the proverbial missing link—the elusive connection between our earliest ancestors and the modern world? If so, then his discovery calls for a complete revision of the story of evolution. It is traditionally accepted that most fossils have been discovered in East Africa, but Berger's steadily mounting evidence suggests that the central events in human evolution and, in fact, modern humans themselves, actually emerged in South Africa and then spread north, eventually migrating to Asia and Europe and beyond.
So to whom do these footprints belong? Was she really the original ''African Eve,'' the one common ancestor of all living humans? A spellbinding detective story that manages to fuse the craft and tension of the best suspense writers with the acumen and thoroughness of Richard Leakey, Berger's In the Footsteps of Eve goes head to head with the prevailing theories of human evolution and marks the accomplished debut of an extraordinarily intelligent and fast-rising young scientist.
Click here.
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Journey of Man DVD
National Geographic®
How did the human race populate the world? A group of geneticists have worked on the question for a decade, arriving at a startling conclusion: the "global family tree" can be traced to one African man who lived 60,000 years ago.
Dr. Spencer Wells hosts this innovative series, featuring commentary by expert scientists, historians, archaeologists, and anthropologists. 1 disc; 120 minutes, © 2003
Click here.
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Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project
National Geographic®
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In Deep Ancestry, scientist and explorer Spencer Wells shows how tiny genetic changes add up over time into a fascinating story. Using scores of real-life examples, helpful analogies, and detailed diagrams and illustrations, he translates complicated concepts into accessible language and explains exactly how each and every individual's DNA contributes another piece to the jigsaw puzzle of human history.
The book takes readers inside the Genographic Project, the landmark study now assembling the world's largest collection of DNA samples and employing the latest in testing technology and computer analysis to examine hundreds of thousands of genetic profiles from all over the globe.
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256 pages with 40 photographs; 5'' x 8''; Hardcover © 2006
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Join a real-time, landmark research project! Learn something about your deep ancestry while contributing to the overall success of the Project.
Click here.
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Wollemi Pine
National Geographic®
Exclusively from National Geographic, this survivor from the age of the dinosaurs is one of the greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species, belonging to a 200-million-year-old plant family thought to have been extinct for more than two million years.
Previously known only from fossil records, it was presumed extinct until a single tree was found in the Wollemi National Park, Australia, in 1994. Subsequent research discovered 100 adult trees that have survived in a single canyon in this wild and rugged area.
Click here
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You can assist in the conservation effort and enjoy the unique opportunity to ensure the continued survival of this rare species by giving the tree as a gift or growing your own. Suitable for indoor container gardening or as a landscape tree in certain areas of the U.S.
Comes with a care manual with the full story about the discovery and fascinating history of the Wollemi pine. Comes in a copper-colored container and will be approximately 10''H when shipped. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plants will fund ongoing conservation research.
Click here.
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National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic®
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You are invited to roam the world in the pages of National Geographic magazine. Explore the diversity of our planet's lands and inhabitants in compelling stories covering topics such as animals, nature, science, technology, culture, history, travel, adventure, exploration, and geography. The monthly National Geographic magazine is your key benefit of membership.
Additional benefits include:
- As many as five wall map supplements throughout the year in issues of the magazine
- A personalized Membership Certificate
- Special discounts on selected products
- The opportunity to examine special Society products free in your home before deciding to purchase
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- The privilege of traveling the world with the Society's educational travel tour programs
- The satisfaction of supporting important research, conservation, education, and exploration projects
Join the Society and bring the adventure of National Geographic into your home!
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