Cavendish, the most commonly available banana variety, is facing the risk of extinction. A fungal disease threatens to wipe Cavendish bananas off the face of the Earth. Why Cavendish bananas dominate the global marketThere are over 1,000 varieties of bananas, but about 47% that humans eat are Cavendish bananas (Musa acuminata). Fajri Ramadhan / 500px / Getty ImagesPanama disease is a serial banana killerWhat's happening to Cavendish bananas has happened before to another popular banana variety called Gros Michel. How scientists are trying to save the CavendishSome plant pathologists don't believe that the Cavendish banana will meet the same fate as Gros Michel.

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Persons: Cavendish, —, Dan Koeppel, Fajri, Gros, Gros Michel, James Dale, Robert Nickelsberg, Dale, Koeppel, COZZI, Price Organizations: Service, Queensland University of Technology, TR4, Gros, University of Cambridge, Taiwan Banana Research Institute, Apple, Cavendish Locations: Cavendish, Musa, Panama, Darwin, Australia, Queensland, India, China, East, Africa, South America, QCAV, freezers