Thank Plate Tectonics for Tasty Oranges

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

If you’re an orange juice lover, you should be thankful for the rather bizarre behavior of the Indian tectonic plate.

A new and sweeping genetic study, published Wednesday in Nature, has pinpointed the origins and evolution of citrus. The study shows how the fruit emerged at a time of geological upheaval more than 8 million years ago in Southern Asia and spread thanks to genetic mutations that produced more palatable fruit for animals — as well as our human ancestors.

Within this new g

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