Wild and cultivated comestible plant species in the Gulf of Mexico: phylogenetic patterns and convergence of type of use.

Cross-cultural research on edible plants might include ecological and evolutionary perspectives to understand processes behind species selection and management. With a database of approximately 500 comestible plants of the Province of the Gulf of Mexico in Mesoamerica, phylogenetic analyses are conducted to identify convergence and phylogenetic signal of type of use and significant clustering in the resulting phylogenetic trees. Analyses considered type of management (wild/managed vs.

Edible native plants of the Gulf of Mexico Province.

Background: Currently, at the global level, human food is mainly based on a few crops extensively cultivated as monocultures. Climate change, changes in land to agriculture and cattle raising, as well as the scarcity of water all affect and reduce the possibility of cultivating alternative crops. One way to face this global problem is to promote the knowledge, production and consumption of native food species on a regional scale.