谷子（小米）是我國北方重要的糧食作物之一，與中華文明的形成和發(fā)展關(guān)系密切,，由于長期缺少準確區(qū)分新石器時代早期腐朽,、灰化谷子與其野生祖本青狗尾草遺存的鑒定方法，國際上有關(guān)谷子的起源時間,、過程存在多種不同的認識,。植硅體分析是鑒定早期腐朽植物遺存的最有效手段之一，過去的研究由于受方法和材料限制,，學界對能否利用植硅體形態(tài)區(qū)分谷子與青狗尾草的準確性和可靠性存在質(zhì)疑,。
中科院地質(zhì)與地球物理研究所新生代地質(zhì)與環(huán)境重點實驗室博士后張健平等與中科院地理科學與資源研究所以及中國農(nóng)業(yè)科學院等單位的專家合作，通過對采自國內(nèi)外不同地區(qū)的16種現(xiàn)代谷子,、青狗尾草小穗穎片,、內(nèi)外稃片不同部位、不同細胞層的植硅體分析,，明確了區(qū)分鑒定谷子和青狗尾草植硅體的形態(tài)特征和可重復(fù)檢驗的測量標準,。研究同時表明，采自東亞地區(qū)與西歐的谷子稃殼植硅體存在形態(tài)學上顯著差異,，暗示了可能存在不同的演化路線,。同行審稿專家認為，該文章為鑒定考古遺址中的谷子與它的野生祖本提供了可靠的方法,，是植物考古學研究方法的突破性進展,，有希望在早期考古遺址灰化植物遺存樣品的鑒定，以及為世界谷子起源,、傳播過程研究提供新的視角和證據(jù),。
該研究成果近日發(fā)表在國際知名的綜合類學術(shù)期刊《公共科學圖書館—綜合》（PLoS ONE）雜志上。
該文章是呂厚遠研究員課題組繼2009年在PLoS ONE 上發(fā)表谷子和黍子的植硅體鑒定方法,、在PNAS 上發(fā)表東亞旱作農(nóng)業(yè)起源研究進展之后,，在該領(lǐng)域的又一重要的基礎(chǔ)性研究成果,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
PLoS ONE 6(5): e19726. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019726
Phytolith Analysis for Differentiating between Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) and Green Foxtail (Setaria viridis)
Jianping Zhang,Houyuan Lu,Naiqin Wu,Xiaoyan Yang,Xianmin Diao
Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is one of the oldest domesticated cereal crops in Eurasia, but identifying foxtail millets, especially in charred grains, and differentiating it from its wild ancestor, green foxtail (Setaria viridis), in the archaeobotanical remains, is still problematic. Phytolithic analysis provides a meaningful method for identifying this important crop. In this paper, the silicon structure patterns in the glumes, lemmas, and paleas from inflorescence bracts in 16 modern plants of foxtail millet and green foxtail from China and Europe are examined using light microscopy with phase-contrast and a microscopic interferometer. Our research shows that the silicon structure of ΩIII from upper lemmas and paleas in foxtail millet and green foxtail can be correspondingly divided into two groups. The size of ΩIII type phytolith of foxtail millet is bigger than that from green foxtail. Discriminant function analysis reveals that 78.4% of data on foxtail millet and 76.9% of data on green foxtail are correctly classified. This means certain morphotypes of phytoliths are relatively reliable tools for distinguishing foxtail millet from green foxtail. Our results also revealed that the husk phytolith morphologies of foxtail millets from China and Eastern Europe are markedly different from those from Western Europe. Our research gives a meaningful method of separating foxtail millet and green foxtail. The implications of these findings for understanding the history of foxtail millet domestication and cultivation in ancient civilizations are significant.
