[CaptRon]

But, for humans, the tooth-cracking coating was undesirable so it was selectively reduced…and reduced…and reduced…until all that remains is the annoying bit of paper-thin, translucent tissue that sometimes sticks between the teeth when one munches corn on the cob.

So, this report is telling us that the native Americans intuitively made the leap of thought that they could make a fomerly useless plant to one that was useful to them by selective breeding?

[Junior]

That's not what's being said at all. The early Indians were using this and other seeds as a convenient source of protein. Like with many foods with hard exteriors, the Indians probably ground them up and soaked them in water. The Indians in California did something similar with acorns.

If you think about it, rice is pretty much inedible before it's cooked...

[lucysmom]

So, this report is telling us that the native Americans intuitively made the leap of thought that they could make a fomerly useless plant to one that was useful to them by selective breeding?

Why not? Apparently native Americans were good observers and accumulated a wealth of knowledge about other aspects of their environment. We know that native Americans taught the pilgrims to plant corn seed with dead fish - not a common natural occurrence, I would think. If they understood the benefits of fertilizer, why not breeding?