In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Plants in 2025, researchers have unveiled an extraordinary pattern of convergent selection in two of the most vital cereal crops in human agriculture—wheat and barley. This finding not only sheds light on the shared evolutionary forces shaping these crops but also opens promising avenues for advancing future crop breeding. The study reveals how independent domestication and breeding episodes have sculpted the genomes of wheat and barley through remarkably parallel trajectories, with profound implications for sustainable food security.
Wheat and barley were domesticated thousands of years ago, becoming staples in ancient agrarian societies and laying the foundations for modern civilization. Over millennia, natural and artificial selection sculpted these species under similar environmental pressures and agronomic demands. Yet, until now, the exact shared genetic architecture of their domestication remained elusive. The international research team, led by Sow, Forestan, and Pont, utilized cutting-edge genome sequencing and comparative genomics to decode the hidden signatures of selection conserved across these two cereals.
The researchers employed a multi-layered analytical approach. They first generated comprehensive genomic data from diverse collections of wheat and barley varieties, encompassing both wild relatives and domesticated forms. By integrating population genomics with advanced statistical frameworks, they identified regions of the genome that exhibited strong evidence of parallel selective sweeps—regions where beneficial alleles rapidly increased in frequency due to human-mediated breeding pressures. The convergence was remarkable because these selective hotspots primarily affected similar biological pathways, despite the crops’ distinct evolutionary histories.
Key among the convergently selected genomic regions were those associated with traits central to agronomic performance, including flowering time regulation, seed dispersal mechanisms, and adaptation to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. The convergent selection signals underscored the genetic basis of phenotypic traits that have been consistently targeted by farmers to enhance yield, reliability, and resilience. This demonstrates how domestication and modern breeding have recurrently shaped shared molecular pathways responsible for plant fitness under cultivation.
One of the most striking revelations from the study was the identification of overlapping genetic loci involved in flowering-time control. Flowering phenology is crucial for crop adaptation to diverse climatic zones and determines the duration of the growing season. In both wheat and barley, selection has fine-tuned the expression and function of key flowering genes, enabling the synchronization of developmental stages with favorable environmental conditions. This parallel evolutionary adaptation illustrates the concerted pressures imposed by shifting agricultural landscapes on these cereals.
Furthermore, genes controlling seed shattering, a trait where seeds disperse from the plant to facilitate propagation in wild species, were found under similar directional selection in wheat and barley. The domestication process favored alleles that reduced seed shattering, thereby enhancing grain retention and harvest efficiency. By convergently targeting these loci, ancient farmers effectively altered reproductive strategies in both species to suit agronomic needs, a trait so pivotal that it formed a cornerstone of the green revolution.
Beyond these traits, the team highlighted convergent adaptations related to abiotic stress tolerance. Both wheat and barley exhibit allelic variations in genes involved in osmotic regulation and ion transport, which help mitigate damage from drought or soil salinity. The study provides the first evidence that similar selective pressures repeatedly shaped these tolerance mechanisms, ensuring crop stability across a broad range of environmental conditions. This genomic convergence reflects a shared resilience blueprint fostered by natural and human-driven selection.
Importantly, the findings work as a vital resource for breeders aiming to meet the escalating challenges posed by climate change. By pinpointing conserved genetic loci of adaptive significance, the study offers molecular targets for introgression or gene editing to boost yield stability under fluctuating environmental stresses. The convergence in selection history suggests that lessons learned in one crop could be translated to improve the other, forging powerful synergies in cereal improvement programs worldwide.
The study’s methodology represents a milestone in plant genomics, exemplifying the integration of large-scale sequencing, population genetics, and evolutionary biology to unravel complex domestication histories. By juxtaposing genomic architectures from closely related yet independently domesticated species, the research team demonstrated a novel framework for dissecting convergent evolution in crop plants. This approach holds promise for exploring other crop families where convergent selection could similarly be a key driver.
Moreover, the work draws attention to the importance of preserving genetic diversity in ancestral wild relatives. These reservoirs harbor untapped alleles that contributed to initial domestication events but may have been lost or diluted in modern cultivars. Maintaining these gene pools and leveraging their genetic wealth could reinvigorate breeding pipelines with adaptive diversity, especially when informed by knowledge of convergent selective pressures.
As global food systems face mounting pressure from population growth, changing climates, and shrinking arable land, insights into the evolutionary forces shaping staple crops are more critical than ever. This study’s revelation of shared selection imprints in wheat and barley elucidates how historical human actions have harmonized with natural genetic variation to fashion crops capable of sustained production. Harnessing this evolutionary wisdom can accelerate innovation towards resilient, high-yielding cultivars designed for future agriculture.
In conclusion, the discovery of a strikingly convergent selection history between wheat and barley represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of cereal crop domestication and improvement. It underscores the intertwined evolutionary trajectories of these foundational crops and highlights the potential for cross-species exchange of genetic solutions in breeding. This synergy between genomics and agronomy paves the way for strategic crop enhancement to tackle emerging challenges and ensure food security for the coming generations.
As the agricultural community digests these findings, further research is anticipated to explore how these convergent selective loci interact with the broader genomic context, including epigenetic modifications and gene networks. Unlocking these layers could refine our capacity to manipulate crop genomes precisely for optimized performance. Ultimately, this knowledge fosters a more informed approach to sustainable agriculture grounded in the deep history of human-plant co-evolution.
The monumental implications of this research stretch beyond wheat and barley alone; they frame a compelling case study for evolutionary biology, crop science, and food policy. By tracing convergent selection signatures, we gain a powerful lens for interpreting how humanity has shaped and will continue to shape the genetic destiny of our essential food crops. This insight is timely as breeders, scientists, and policymakers strive toward innovation-driven solutions in the face of unprecedented global challenges.
Subject of Research: Convergent genetic selection and domestication history of wheat and barley, with implications for crop breeding.
Article Title: Striking convergent selection history of wheat and barley and its potential for breeding.
Article References:
Sow, M.D., Forestan, C., Pont, C. et al. Striking convergent selection history of wheat and barley and its potential for breeding. Nat. Plants (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02128-0
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02128-0
Tags: agronomic demands on cereal cropscomparative genomics in agricultureconvergent evolution in agricultureevolution of staple food cropsgenome sequencing in cropsgenomic data analysis in agriculturehistorical domestication of wheatimplications of crop breeding researchnatural and artificial selection in cropsshared genetic architecture of cerealssustainable food security innovationswheat and barley breeding techniques
