To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Cloning
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 11:35:40 -0500
Earlier fruiting may be tied to the advanced cellular clock of the
scion,
but it does not seem to shorten the lifespan of the tree.
Anyone know the reason?
Does the cellular clock in plants, specifically pome fruits include
scenesce genes? If not then the thing would essentially go on until
random mutations eliminated all of the cultuvars - and that could take a
while - especially with people culling off types (eliminating mutations).
There are those who even argue that there are some vertebrates that do
not become scenescent (larger turtles and tortoises for example). Not
everyone may be pre-programmed to fall apart.