In 2017, the El Gigante Rockshelter, an archaeological site located at an altitude of 1,200–2,000 meters in southwestern Honduras, was revealed to be one of the centers of corn (Zea spp.) diversification and cultivation 4,300 years ago. Now, it has been found to be one of the birthplaces of the avocado (Persea americana). Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara found and examined 1,725 fossilized specimens of the fruit from the site. They dated 56 of them, concluding that the oldest was around 11,000 years old and that avocado skins have become progressively thicker and the seeds larger since 8,000 years ago. The domestication and continuous selection of large, robust fruits began between 7,500 and 7,200 years ago, resulting in the approximately 500 varieties of various shapes, sizes, and colors known today. Native to Mexico and Central America, avocados likely arrived in Brazil at the end of the nineteenth century, where seven varieties are cultivated: Hass, Breda, Fortuna, Geada, Margarida, Ouro Verde, and Quintal (PNAS, March 3).
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