The origins and evolutionary history of feral apples in southern Ontario
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Feral populations of domesticated crops can establish through hybridization with native relatives, or through recombination of known cultivars. The relative importance of these two pathways is not known, especially for woody fruit crops. The goal of this study was to examine the evolutionary origins of feral populations of Malus domestica (domestic apple) in southern Ontario using a population genetics analysis. I characterized genotypes of 467 feral apple trees along with 127 commercial cultivars, ornamental crabapple cultivars and the native Malus coronaria, using 14 microsatellite markers. The feral trees were composed of seven genetic subgroups that are distributed throughout Ontario, and were associated with different commercial cultivars. The results suggest that feral apples are not products of hybridization with native M. coronaria, rather they have multiple origins, partly derived from early heritage cultivars. These lineages have spread and coexist throughout Ontario, rather than being derived strictly from local sources.