Pasta Evolution

In a fun but deeper-than-it-sounds article (Evolution of the Italian pasta ripiena: the first steps toward a scientific classification: link), the authors use phylogenetic techniques to analyze the possible evolutionary lineages of different types of filled pasta (think, for example, ravioli), taking into account not just shapes but multiple other attributes such as flour, size, eggs/no-eggs, flatness, folding, filling type, cooking method, sauce, sweetness... Of course, Sardinian filled pasta escape classification 😋

Why is it deeper than it sounds? I think it is a very nice example of how evolutionary biology techniques can shed light on technical and cultural "evolution". Being able to pinpoint, at at least suggest, a common ancestor can reveal the origin of technological or cultural artifacts.

"In this study, phylogenetic and biogeographic methods are used to investigate the evolutionary relationships between various types of Italian pasta ripiena (filled pasta) and related representatives from across Eurasia, using information from their geography, shape, content and cooking methods. Our results showed that, with the exception of the Sardinian Culurgiones, all the other pasta ripiena from Italy likely had a single origin in the northern parts of the country. Based on

the proposed evolutionary hypothesis, the Italian pasta are divided into two main clades: a ravioli clade mainly characterized by a more or less flat shape, and a tortellini clade mainly characterized by a three-dimensional shape. The implications of these findings are further discussed."