
Olive trees (Olea europaea) provide a good model to study the origin of cultivars due to their long lifespan. Diez et al. use SSR markers to evaluate genetic identity and diversity as well as phylogenetic relationships among the oldest wild and cultivated olives of Southern Spain. The majority (90.4 %) of the a priori cultivated ancient olive genotypes do not match any current cultivar, suggesting that a significant and valuable reservoir of genetic diversity exists among these varieties.