Figure 3.

Domestication scenario for the date palm (historical distribution in red) based on the latest lines of evidence in archaeology and genetics. Domestication occurred in the Gulf region (black circles), probably during the 4th millennium BCE from wild populations of P. dactylifera of which relict populations were found in Oman (grey star). It was followed by diffusion toward the East and the West (black arrows). African date palms nevertheless appear very distinct and more diverse than Middle Eastern cultivars, involving that an unknown source contributed to this population. The source population, the exact timing and the geographic context of this event remain to be elucidated.