Maize (Corn) May Have Been Domesticated In Mexico As Early As 10,000 Years Ago

Science Daily ^ | 6-27-2008 | American Society of Plant Biologists

[blam]

Maize (Corn) May Have Been Domesticated In Mexico As Early As 10,000 Years Ago

Various unusually colored and shaped maize from Latin America. (Credit: Photo by Keith Weller / courtesy of USDA/Agricultural Research Service)

ScienceDaily (June 27, 2008) — The ancestors of maize originally grew wild in Mexico and were radically different from the plant that is now one of the most important crops in the world. While the evidence is clear that maize was first domesticated in Mexico, the time and location of the earliest domestication and dispersal events are still in dispute.

Now, in addition to more traditional macrobotanical and archeological remains, scientists are using new genetic and microbotanical techniques to distinguish domesticated maize from its wild relatives as well as to identify ancient sites of maize agriculture. These new analyses suggest that maize may have been domesticated in Mexico as early as 10,000 years ago.

Dr. John Jones and his colleagues, Mary Pohl, and Kevin Pope, have evaluated multiple lines of evidence, including paleobotanical remains such as pollen, phytoliths, and starch grains, as well as genetic analyses, to reconstruct the early history of maize agriculture. Dr. Jones, of the Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, will be presenting this work at a symposium on Maize Biology at the annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists in Mérida, Mexico (June 28, 2008).

While macrobotanical remains such as maize kernels, cobs, and leaves have been found in dry mountain caves, such remains are not preserved in more humid lowland areas, so the conclusions based on such remains are fragmentary. Much smaller parts of the maize plant, like cellular silica deposits, called phytoliths, and pollen and starch grains, are preserved under both humid and dry conditions. These lines of evidence, along with genetic and archeological data,

[leda]

maize is on tonight’s dinner menu :)

[mplsconservative]

Uh oh. Our season is very short here in MN, even shorter due to the cool, wet spring.

I’ve been gardening for 20 years but my expertise is in perennial flowers.

Thanks for the recommendations of short season varieties of corn. I will try those next year.

[Gabz]

We had it night before last.

[blam]

Silver Queen is a favorite variety around here.(Mobile)

[leda]

it was actually on sale at the store this weekend.
i guess it’s eat it while we can still afford it time.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"I’m growing a variety of corn called ‘Kandy Korn’ this year. Anyone else had any luck with this type?"

Yep. That's one of my best sellers at Jung's. My 'Norwegian Bachelor Farmer' boyfriends swear by it. :)

Shameless plug: http://www.jungseed.com Kandy Korn

[Diana in Wisconsin]

My cat will do that if I roll a rat in melted butter and hold it for her, LOL! (Very, very CUTE!)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

But I agree with the other posters. You have an even shorter growing season than I do, so you do need to go with a quicker producer.

But, you never know! We might have a nice, long, warm Fall before we get another 100” of snow dumped on our heads as we did last year! :)

[SunkenCiv]

Wow. When that ear costs $10, that cat will go through the withdraws. ;’)

[nw_arizona_granny]

Thanks for the ping.