Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: DrN on 27/05/2009 21:07:49
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I was eating a particularly lovely peach this afternoon, but it got me thinking about nectarines. As far as I can tell, the only difference between them is their skin; furry vs smooth. Why is this? Did they diverge on their evolutionary paths? I can't think of circumstances that would favour a furry skin in one location or a smooth skin in another. Perhaps it was a genetic 'mistake' in a geographically isolated population?
Any ideas?
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Just one:
The nectarine is a cultivar group of peach that has a smooth, fuzzless skin. Though fuzzy peaches and nectarines are commercially regarded as different fruits, with nectarines often erroneously believed to be a crossbreed between peaches and plums, or a "peach with a plum skin", they belong to the same species as peaches. Several genetic studies have concluded in fact that nectarines are created due to a recessive gene, whereas a fuzzy peach skin is dominant. Nectarines have arisen many times from peach trees, often as bud sports.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach#Nectarines
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oooh thanks!! That's interesting!
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Just one:
The nectarine is a cultivar group of peach that has a smooth, fuzzless skin. Though fuzzy peaches and nectarines are commercially regarded as different fruits, with nectarines often erroneously believed to be a crossbreed between peaches and plums, or a "peach with a plum skin", they belong to the same species as peaches. Several genetic studies have concluded in fact that nectarines are created due to a recessive gene, whereas a fuzzy peach skin is dominant. Nectarines have arisen many times from peach trees, often as bud sports.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach#Nectarines
I wonder if thats why some bottoms are smooth and others hairy??[:)]
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Which one is the recessive trait? [:)]