In Germany, University of Bielefeld researchers confirmed that breeding affects the genetic makeup of those delicious scallops. When comparing nine different scallop populations, the only one with a different genetic composition was the cultivated population, more commonly referred to as farmed scallops. Interestingly, the scallops’ appearance was found to depend on their surroundings, not whether they were cultivated or wild. Apparently the scallops changed their size, shape and color depending on their environment in all nine populations, leading researchers to believe their appearances aren’t related to genetics, but to environmental adaptation. Future planned studies will look deeper into how scallops from other Atlantic coastal regions and Mediterranean grow differently as a reaction to their environments.
