And according to the British newspaper, The Independent, scientists have discovered that our ancestors in North Africa were getting rid of red pulp and eating only the seeds.
The study, published in the journal “Molecular Biology and Evolution” and based on a genetic analysis of ancient seeds, found that watermelons thousands of years ago were “bitter and deadly”.
In this regard, Oscar Perez-Escobar, a researcher at Britain’s “Q Gardens”, said: “Eating watermelon was not only unpleasant, but it could lead to your death.”
The researchers highlighted that the study found that climate change, which increases heat waves and the chances of fires and droughts, can have negative effects on food crops.
“If researchers can reintroduce a trait into watermelons, such as drought resistance, it could help improve farmers’ ability to grow and sell them successfully,” Escobar said.
“This could be a source of improving our crops,” he added. “Watermelons are a multi-million dollar crop and important to economies around the world.”
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