Genetic relationships and evolution in Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin, squash, gourd) as revealed by simple sequence repeat

Li Gong1, Harry S Paris, Michael H Nee

  • 1Department for Agrobiotechnology, Institute for Biotechnology in Plant Production, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, Tulln, Austria.

Summary

Genetic analysis of Cucurbita pepo revealed three main subspecies clusters: pepo, texana, and fraterna. Some accessions suggest relic wild ancestors, with distinct cultivar groups and specialized uses driving genetic divergence.

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