Micromorphological Analysis of North American Cucurbita Seed Testae

Seeds are frequently recovered and highly diagnostic archaeological remains.  Accurate identification of archaeobotanical seeds to possible subgeneric ranks is essential for understanding the changes and development of plant taxa throughout the process of domestication.  Taxonomic assignments are traditionally achieved through macromorphological observation and morphometric analyses, however this may be hampered by the sometimes degraded and fragmentary condition of many archaeological seeds.  As members of the Cucurbita genus (Cucurbitaceae) are among the earliest and most geographically widespread domesticated plants in the New World, accurate means of assessment are critical for documenting the process of domestication.  Lema et al. (2008) have demonstrated the potential for seed testa micromorphology as a means for distinguishing modern South American Cucurbita species and subspecies.  This current pilot study investigated whether the microscopic characteristics identified by Lema et al. (2008) are similarly applicable to North American Cucurbita taxa.

Reference Cited:

Lema, Veronica, Aylen Capparelli, and Maria Lelia Pochettino (2008) Taxonomic identification of dry and carbonized archaeobotanical remains of Cucurbita species through seed coat micromorphology. Veget. Hist. Archaeobot. 17:S277-S286.