The plants we eat have a long history on Earth, steered in part by human behaviors and preferences for color, taste and size.

How it works: A pair of researchers in Belgium is combining art history and genetics to try to link genetic mutations in fruits, vegetables and other plants to changes in their appearance, or phenotype, over time.

The big picture: The story of plants is intertwined with the history of mankind, says plant biologist Ive De Smet, co-author of an essay detailing the approach this week in Trends in Plant Science.

The challenge: DNA from ancient specimens and written texts can help to trace the natural history of plants.

Instead, they propose using imagery of fruits, vegetables and other plants along with genomic information to pinpoint important changes in plants and tie them to human forces and natural variation.

Yes, but: An artist's interpretation of food from Picasso's abstraction of apples (case in point, I think they are apples) to Beuckelaer's season-defying market offerings could lead to incorrect conclusions.

What's next: The researchers are asking people to provide pictures of paintings to build a public database for their work.

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What art history and genetics tell us about fruit and vegetables - Axios