Scientific discoveries have shown that Theobroma cocoa – the cacao plant – developed 10 millions years ago. This puts to rest all historical and scientific statements about the plant which gives rise to our favorite flavors. Since the discovery of traces in Central America, historians have been claiming that Theobroma cocoa (which means “food of Gods”) dates back at least 3 ,100years ago. A new study published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution by researchers suggests that cocoa may be much older than originally thought. Theobroma cacao, also known as the cacao tree or the cocoa tree, is an evergreen tree of the Malvaceae family. It’s native to tropical areas in Central and South America. The seeds, which are cocoa beans, can be used in chocolate making and powdering. The discovery of cocoa beans could be a solution to the imminent chocolate shortage. Researchers from Colombia, America, and Scotland examined pottery vessels from around 1100 BC. They found traces of a cocoa-derived compound in the vessel. Their study does however push back the timeline for cocoa production. The researchers think that the cacao tree is more likely to be able to produce chocolate because it has been around many millions of years earlier than originally thought. A global chocolate supply crisis is imminent Experts believe that there may be a global crisis in chocolate production due to instability in cacao-growing regions and climate change. There has also been a surge in demand from emerging countries. The current global chocolate sales, which exceed $100 trillion annually, are projected to rise dramatically in the coming ten years. Photograph of Theobroma cacao flowers. (Image: Eurekalert. Credit to Santiago Madrinan. Mars issued a report. Inc. and Swiss-based Barry Callebaut in 2014 informed that global cocoa consumption in 2013 was 70,000 tons greater than total production that year. All of the world’s major cacao-producing areas – South America and West Africa as well as West Africa, West Africa, West Africa and the Pacific – are vulnerable to climate change, disease, pests and political instability. Problem with cacao plants lies in their limited genetic diversity, making them more vulnerable to pests and blights. They are more likely to be affected by climate change because they lack genetic variation. Eurekalert quoted Dr. James Richardson as the lead author. He is a tropical botanist at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Santiago Madrinan was one of the study authors. (Image: Eurekalert. Credit to Santiago Madrinan. Theobroma chocolate is an extremely old species. Theobroma cocoa, which evolved 10 millions years ago, was discovered by a research team. It is the oldest species of Theobroma. Today, the cacao tree can be found on both sides of Theobroma mountain. Because the mountain ranges were still relatively low when Theobroma cacao was first discovered, this is why it’s not possible to see them today. This means that the species could have evolved many millions of years ago. Each population will adapt to its local environment. Different genetic characteristics could be crossed into cultivable strains to make them less susceptible to climate change, disease and pests. We may be able create new flavors of chocolate with plants we have bred. Santiago Madrinan inspects the flowers on the Colombian cacao tree. Photo by Eurekalert. (Image: Eurekalert. Credit to Santiago Madrinan. Dr. Richardson stated that after 10 millions of years of evolution, it is not surprising to find a lot of diversity within species. Some might have novel tastes or be resistant to disease. These types may help improve a developing chocolate sector,” Dr. Richardson said. He and his colleagues plan to return to South America to sample every species of cacao, and to study their genetic characteristics. Santiago Madrinan is co-author. He stated that they hope to emphasize the need to conserve biodiversity in order to increase and protect the agriculture sector. Understanding the diversity processes of chocolate, and chocolate’s relatives, can help to develop the industry. We also have the opportunity to show that the Age of Chocolate is real. Citation: James E. Richardson and Barbara A. Whitlock. Alan W. Meerow. Santiago Madrinan. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 10 November 2015. DOI: org/10.3389/fevo.2015. 00120.
