Draws the results from multidisciplinary studies on the ecological, genetic, genomic, agronomic, and evolutionary aspects of wild emmer, conducted at many labs around the world. The authors describe the evolution of wild emmer as a model organism of a selfer in evolutionary biology, and its rich potential genetic resources for wheat improvement.
Part I, ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF WHEAT: 1. Domestication of cultivated wheats.- 2. Wild emmer, Triticum dicoccoides, wheat progenitor: origin and evolution.- 3. Centers of origin and diversity of wild ancestors and crop improvement.- Part II, POPULATION GENETICS OF WILD EMMER WHEAT: 4. Macrogeographic population genetic studies of T. dicoccoides in the fertile crescent, Israel and Turkey: allozyme and DNA polymorphisms.- 5. Microgeographic studies of allozyme and DNA polymorphisms in T. dicoccoides.- Part III, GENETIC RESOURCES OF WILD EMMER FOR WHEAT IMPROVEMENT: 6. Genetic variation in agronomic traits.- Part IV, GENOME ORGANIZATION AND GENETIC MAPPING: 7. Genome structure of T. dicoccoides.- 8. Genetic mapping of agronomically important traits.- 9. Molecular evolution and ecological stress in wild emmer wheat at regional and local scales: natural selection in action.-Part V: CONCLUSIONS AND PROSPECTS.- Subject index.-