Thanks a lot for so much information flowing over the group!!! Just a little addition to the vast pool of knowledge already there; Nyctanthes flower stalks are aoften used as an adulterant in Kesar/Saffron. And Adansonia's fruits are edible whereas the trunk is believed to store water in huge quantities!
On 3/4/10, tanay bose <[email protected]> wrote: > > *TRYING TO BRING A CONCLUSION TO POSSIBLE MIGRATION OF Adansonia sp FROM > AFRICA & AUSTRALIA TO INDIA.* > Baobab trees attract attention because of their striking shape and the > large number of different uses to which they can be put by human cultures > (including food, water storage, medicine, raw materials for rope, cloth, > twine, boats etc.). There are eight extant species of baobab (*Adansonia > spp*.): six in Madagascar, one (*A. digitata*) on the African continent > and one (*A. gregorii*) in the Kimberley region of north-western > Australia. The Kimberley species is an obvious geographical outlier, and > there are several different scenarios for the presence of the *A. gregorii > * in Australia. > > *One theory proposes that Adansonia spp. share a common origin in Western > Gondwana (Wickens 2008).* However, recent molecular analysis has > demonstrated that the Australian baobab, *A. gregorii*, is very closely > related to the African species, *A. digitata* (Baum 1998). The genetic > distance between the two species is far smaller than would be expected for a > >100 Myr Gondwana connection. This led to the suggestion that the baobab > must have undergone transoceanic dispersal (Baum et al 1998), presumably via > floating seed pods. However, this theory is mechanistically constrained by > several factors: (a) *A. gregorii* seed pod has the thinnest shell of all > *Adansonia* spp., making it unlikely that seed pods would survive such a > long oceanic journey (b) oceanic currents are unfavourable for the observed > dispersal pattern and (c) *A. gregorii *is not present at other locations > on the North-West Australian coast where it would readily grow and where > oceanic dispersal would be expected to have delivered seeds. > > *While investigating a third scenario based on the very close genetic > relationship between A. gregorii and A. digitata: transoceanic dispersal > mediated by human migrations out of Africa around 60-70,000 yrs ago *[during > this time Homo sapiens evolved in Africa and later stared migrating to Asia > and Europe]. Interestingly, the geographical distribution of the Kimberley > species overlaps almost perfectly with a particular type of ancient rock art > known as Bradshaw paintings. The aetiology of these painting is under hot > debate: some maintain that they are part of the extensive Aboriginal rock > art found across Australia, and some maintain that these images were painted > by a distinct culture which no longer survives in Australia. Bradshaw rock > art is significantly different from other rock art in Australia in terms > of style and materials used. Scenes from daily life are strikingly well > executed and fauna is very accurately depicted (Pettigrew et al 2008). > Moreover, there are many references in art that support a relationship > between the artists, the baobab trees and intercontinental travel, for > example: (1) the fruit and flowers of baobabs appear to be well represented > in the images (2) large boats are featured in some paintings; these boats > carry up to 30 passengers and have a very high prow indicating oceanic > capability. One of the most striking things about these paintings is that > they are remarkably reminiscent of modern African culture. It seems very > likely that a stone-age African oceanic migrant might have chosen such a > useful cargo as baobab, with its two dozen separate roles , not to mention > the durability of the nutritious fruit (the Vitamin C-rich pulp lasts more > than a year). > *ATTACHED DOCUMENTS:* > > 1. > > PLEASE SEE THE PAPER OF BRAUM ET.AL <http://et.al/> 1998 SUGGESTING THE > EVOLUTIONARY PATTERN OF Adansonia sp. > 2. > > HYPOTHETICAL MAP TO SUPPORT THE ADANSONIA MIGRATION THEORY. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "efloraofindia" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<indiantreepix%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix?hl=en.
