Academy of Sciences of Albania

About: Academy of Sciences of Albania is a facility organization based out in Tirana, Albania. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Chlorophyll fluorescence & Chlorophyll. The organization has 40 authors who have published 49 publications receiving 1221 citations. The organization is also known as: Akademia e Shkencave e Shqiperise.

Multiple origins of cultivated grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sativa) based on chloroplast DNA polymorphisms.

Abstract: The domestication of the Eurasian grape (Vitis vinifera ssp. sativa) from its wild ancestor (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris) has long been claimed to have occurred in Transcaucasia where its greatest genetic diversity is found and where very early archaeological evidence, including grape pips and artefacts of a 'wine culture', have been excavated. Whether from Transcaucasia or the nearby Taurus or Zagros Mountains, it is hypothesized that this wine culture spread southwards and eventually westwards around the Mediterranean basin, together with the transplantation of cultivated grape cuttings. However, the existence of morphological differentiation between cultivars from eastern and western ends of the modern distribution of the Eurasian grape suggests the existence of different genetic contribution from local sylvestris populations or multilocal selection and domestication of sylvestris genotypes. To tackle this issue, we analysed chlorotype variation and distribution in 1201 samples of sylvestris and sativa genotypes from the whole area of the species' distribution and studied their genetic relationships. The results suggest the existence of at least two important origins for the cultivated germplasm, one in the Near East and another in the western Mediterranean region, the latter of which gave rise to many of the current Western European cultivars. Indeed, over 70% of the Iberian Peninsula cultivars display chlorotypes that are only compatible with their having derived from western sylvestris populations.

Quaternary subsidence zones in Albania: some case studies

Abstract: The Neotectonic evolution of Albania, from the Middle Pleistocene to the present day, is characterised by a general uplift that began after the Pliocene. Subsidence took place locally and led to the formation of graben-shaped Quaternary lakes and plains. During this period, graben lakes were formed at Shkodra, Ohrid, Prespa and Butrinti, whereas at Korca, Elbasani, Zadrima, Tirana, Myzeqe, etc., graben and graben-like plains were created. The Quaternary subsidence structures can be classified into two groups: graben structures created by local or regional extension and graben-like structures formed under a compressional regime. Some case studies are presented to illustrate the formation of these structures and their main engineering geological and hydrogeological characteristics.