Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

Archaeologists uncover a 2,000-year-old crop in the Canary Islands


Scientists decoded DNA from millennia-old lentils preserved in volcanic rock silos on Gran Canaria. The findings show that today’s Canary Island lentils largely descend from varieties brought from North Africa around the 200s. These crops survived cultural upheavals because they were so well-suited to the islands’ harsh climate. Their long-standing resilience could make them valuable for future agriculture.

None

Get the Android app

Or read this on ScienceDaily

Read more on:

Photo of Year

Year

Photo of Canary Islands

Canary Islands

Photo of archaeologists

archaeologists

Related news:

News photo

My favorite smart telescope is now $1000 off this Black Friday — the lowest price it’s been all year.

News photo

150-Million-Year-Old Footprints of Limping Sauropod Dinosaur Found in Colorado

News photo

Textbooks Were Wrong: 249-Million-Year-Old Fossil Discovery Upends Timeline of Evolution