Reconstructing the evolutionary history of herbaceous crops through trait-based ecology

Reconstructing the evolution of crop plants is fundamental to understanding their origins, ecological adaptations, and impacts on ecosystem processes. However, our understanding of crop evolution stems largely from archaeology and genetics, with less focus on a trait-based ecological approach. Crop-specific studies have shown that phenotypic traits changed substantially during domestication and modern breeding. Yet, global comparative analyses across multiple species and traits remain scarce. Moreover, we largely ignore which plant traits distinguish wild species that were domesticated (progenitors) from those that were not, and how their ecological profiles differ. Here, I propose a conceptual model that integrates crops, their wild progenitors, and other non-domesticated herbaceous species into Grime's CSR theory and the integrated framework of plant form and function. This model provides insights into the evolutionary trajectories of domesticated plants along economics, root-microbial collaboration, and size spectra, shedding light on the ecological strategies of the wild progenitors of crops. After a comprehensive review, I emphasize that crops and their wild progenitors share similar resource-use traits, as progenitors were already highly acquisitive species. Conversely, main trait differences between domesticated and progenitor plants occur along size and collaboration axes, driven primarily by selection of large-seeded genotypes and intensive agricultural practices, respectively. I propose that crops deviate from the disturbance-adapted strategies of their wild progenitors toward more competitive ones, including links to different stages of evolution under cultivation. Finally, I outline implications for future breeding programs and the origins of agriculture, and recommend research directions to further advance our understanding of crop evolution.