Revisiting Origin, Evolution, and Phylogenetics of Capsicums in the Genomics Era

Abstract

The Capsicum genus comprises approximately thirty species with different ploidy and chromosome base number for which the understanding of the phylogenetic relationships has been a target of many researches since forty years. The earliest morphological, biochemical, and molecular studies allowed to identify three main groups (Annuum, Bacca-tum, and Pubescens) enclosing the most widely used species in terms of consumption and breeding. The advent of molecular markers gave new insight into the taxonomy of the genus better clarifying previous classifications. In addition, the progress made in the field of biology and the release of whole genome sequences have accelerated comparative mapping between pepper and the major solanaceous species such as tomato, potato, and eggplant. This chapter is a review of modern approaches that contributed to study the phylogenentic relationships and evolution of Capsicum species. Main comparative studies in pepper using genetic and genomic approaches are also discussed.