Attaleinae and the origin of Cocos Nucifera

[abdalav 17]

 Cocos nucifera, that people believe was originated somewhere between the pacific and the indian ocean and was only brought to America in the 1500s, belongs to the Attaleinae subtribe.

Most of the Attaleinae genera are native to the Americas, with the exception of two african monotypic genera (Jubaeopsis and Voanioala). Why the coconut tree evolved to its present form so far from its closest relatives?

Is it possible that the coconut doesn't belong to the Attaleinae? Or that it was originated in the Atlantic?

[kinzyjr 1,035]

5 minutes ago, abdalav said:

 Cocos nucifera, that people believe was originated somewhere between the pacific and the indian ocean and was only brought to America in the 1500s, belongs to the Attaleinae subtribe.

Most of the Attaleinae genera are native to the Americas, with the exception of two african monotypic genera (Jubaeopsis and Voanioala). Why the coconut tree evolved to its present form so far from its closest relatives?

Is it possible that the coconut doesn't belong to the Attaleinae? Or that it was originated in the Atlantic?

I've heard there are those that believe it actually originated in South America as well as the commonly accepted theory that it originated in the south Pacific.  I'm not an expert by any means, though.

This reading might be of interest to you: https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/26936/usnh_0014.02.pdf

[NC_Palms 303]

I am no expert on this topic by any means,  but awhile back I once heard this theory that indigenous Americans traded with the Polynesians and thus they were growing coconuts before the arrival of the Europeans. 

I guess this theory could be possible. Once i’ve heard that archeologists found Serenoa reprens in indigenous trash pits as far north as Minnesota, which without a doubt originally came from the Deep South. 

[abdalav 17]

My question lies in the fact that most Attaleinae are from South and Central Americas, while a few of them are from the South of the Indian Ocean. How come the coconuts evolved so far from its closest relatives?

I'm no expert either, I'm just a journalist with poor evolution/genetics knowledge, but it's a strange fact.

[Zeeth 1,856]

8 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

I am no expert on this topic by any means,  but awhile back I once heard this theory that indigenous Americans traded with the Polynesians and thus they were growing coconuts before the arrival of the Europeans. 

I guess this theory could be possible. Once i’ve heard that archeologists found Serenoa reprens in indigenous trash pits as far north as Minnesota, which without a doubt originally came from the Deep South. 

Coconuts were reported by the earliest Spanish explorers on the Pacific coast of America, but the current stock of coconuts is more closely related to those found on the former Spanish Philippines rather than the Polynesian coconuts, so something's a bit weird about that. 

[NC_Palms 303]

7 minutes ago, Zeeth said:

Coconuts were reported by the earliest Spanish explorers on the Pacific coast of America, but the current stock of coconuts is more closely related to those found on the former Spanish Philippines rather than the Polynesian coconuts, so something's a bit weird about that. 

Interesting... I never knew about those reports. Do you think the Spanish originally brought coconuts to the Americas or were they here before then? 

[abdalav 17]

According to this study (https://source.wustl.edu/2011/06/deep-history-of-coconuts-decoded/), the Portuguese brought coconuts from the Indian Ocean and the Spanish from the Phillipines.