An evolutionary "arms race" for light and space led to the early domestication of wheat, according to new research that could offer fresh insights into crop design. The study led by Dr. Yixiang Shan and Professor Colin Osborne, in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Madrid and King Juan Carlos University and Wageningen University, examined how wild plants adapted to human exploitation, finding that early cultivation selected for plants with a significantly stronger competitive ability than their wild ancestors.