Molecular mechanisms involved in convergent crop domestication

• We review genes determining key traits of crop domestication.
• Convergent domestication often proceeds via mutations at orthologous loci.
• Similar factors promote molecular convergence in domestication and evolution.
• Transfer of knowledge from evolution to domestication might assist crop improvement.

Domestication has helped to understand evolution. We argue that, vice versa, novel insights into evolutionary principles could provide deeper insights into domestication. Molecular analyses have demonstrated that convergent phenotypic evolution is often based on molecular changes in orthologous genes or pathways. Recent studies have revealed that during plant domestication the causal mutations for convergent changes in key traits are likely to be located in particular genes. These insights may contribute to defining candidate genes for genetic improvement during the domestication of new plant species. Such efforts may help to increase the range of arable crops available, thus increasing crop biodiversity and food security to help meet the predicted demands of the continually growing global population under rapidly changing environmental conditions.