Avocado Herbarium Specimen WGS

We shotgun sequenced 112 Persea americana herbarium specimens collected across Latin America at low-medium coverage to develop a biogeography of the species and enable trans-regional genomic comparisons. Based on the local descriptions, these specimens were collected from wild settings after 1900. Through comparisons to published databases of traditionally and commercially grown varieties, we aimed to broaden our understanding of the avocado's domestication history, including processes of local selection and dispersal into new regions. This study will reveal the full genetic variation of avocados in their natural range, demonstrating the potential genetic resources that may be incorporated into existing breeding programs in the face of ecological uncertainty.