Eastern origin and three-millennia persistence of a founding grapevine lineage in Iberian viticulture.

Ancient DNA reveals that a founding Iberian grapevine lineage of eastern origin has persisted for over 3,000 years through hybridization and clonal propagation.

• Why it matters: Understanding the origins and long-term evolution of Iberian grapevine lineages is crucial for insights into Mediterranean viticulture history and cultivar development.
• What they did: Analysis of 28 archaeological grapevine seeds from Iberian and Sardinian sites used ancient DNA to identify genomic signatures of eastern cultivars and hybridization events over millennia.
• The result: Findings show that eastern domesticated grapevines contributed to Iberian viticulture, with extant cultivars derived from few sexual generations and sustained by clonal propagation for over a millennium.