The study reveals that figs were not developed in a single place, as long believed, but shaped across the Mediterranean through repeated interactions between humans and wild trees over thousands of years.
Published in Horticulture Research, the research team analysed the DNA of nearly 1,000 fig trees from 14 countries. Their findings reveal a complex history of cultivation, migration, and genetic exchange that challenges the traditional view that crops originate from a single centre of domestication.
Instead, the study shows that figs were shaped through multiple regional processes, where local wild populations and cultivated trees continuously interacted. This long-standing relationship means that wild fig trees have remained genetically connected to the fruits we grow and eat today.
“This study changes how we understand the origins of one of the world’s most ancient crops,” said NYU Abu Dhabi Associate Professor of Biology and lead author Amandine Cornille. “Figs were shaped over time across different regions through a continuous relationship between humans and wild trees, rather than originating from a single point in history.”
Beyond reshaping the history of figs, the findings highlight a broader message for agriculture today. Wild plant populations are not just remnants of the past, but an essential resource for the future, especially as climate change places increasing pressure on global food systems.
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