Pomegranates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits, so they’re somewhat plausible, but I’m fairly certain humans made oranges (and most other citruses, through selection and grafting… though I guess it could have been a mandarin, pomelo, or citron, which seem to be the three we started with) and bananas (through selection and cloning), so it couldn’t have been those.
Apples, on the other hand, seem to have existed long before humans, so they’re definitely a possibility.
I’ve been wondering about this for a while, and I’ve come to the conclusion that blackberries are probably the original thing. Brambles grow like weeds all over Europe, I don’t think anyone is cultivating them to be different. Apples definitely have had a human hand in selecting the best apples to start fresh orchards with.
Pomegranates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits, so they’re somewhat plausible, but I’m fairly certain humans made oranges (and most other citruses, through selection and grafting… though I guess it could have been a mandarin, pomelo, or citron, which seem to be the three we started with) and bananas (through selection and cloning), so it couldn’t have been those.
Apples, on the other hand, seem to have existed long before humans, so they’re definitely a possibility.
It was probably some kind of nut, though.
I’ve been wondering about this for a while, and I’ve come to the conclusion that blackberries are probably the original thing. Brambles grow like weeds all over Europe, I don’t think anyone is cultivating them to be different. Apples definitely have had a human hand in selecting the best apples to start fresh orchards with.
I’m open to correction though.