Central Mexico
More than 7000 years ago in central Mexico, family and individual diets consisted of a wild grass called teosinte. Years later, natives in this central Mexico community would begin to grow maize despite that correlated with the teosinte but with characteristic smaller kernels. North and South America is offering nutrients and economic benefits to local communities. With the migration of the Indians decades later to the Southwestern United States, the natives introduced the current maize species to modern America and the rest of the world. For example, during 1000 years ago, human migration from south America by native Indians contributed to the spread and collective awareness of maize as alternative diets that Europeans like Columbus depended on corn during their circumnavigation attempts.
The domestication of maize took a lengthy process and was carried in numerous locations in central Mexico. The local communities would begin with picking suitable ancient grass referred to as teosinte and selected viable plants for homegrown cultivation. In the process, other communities in places such as Balsas River Valley would depend on water availability and develop new farmlands that offered alternative diets and nutrition. Throughout entire south-central Mexico, archaeobotany indicates the possibility of gene flow of maize and the precursor teosinte, indicating the genetic and geographical origins of the current maize species.
The curator of archaeobotany in leading research institutions in North America agrees that maize originated more than 7000 in central America according to studying the gene flow. In the process of study by the curator of archaeobotany, studies indicate a correlation of current maize species and teosinte that lived more than 5,000-year-old. However, the consumption of maize before 1621 was a restricted diet among most native communities, and other foods such as sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie had not reached American lands.
Archaeogenetics are essential in describing maize as a commodity traded centuries ago during even before the arrival of Europeans in the South and Central America. Archaeogenomics relies on an analysis of the DNA of 5,000-year-old corn sourced around the world. Through the DNA analysis, Archaeogenomics manifests a universal gene flow with teosinte that was utilized as a social commodity, for trading with other products in the Balsas River Valley.
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History agrees on the origin of maize through the study of gene flow in flora and fauna as central Mexico. In their research, the Smithsonian National Museum argues that maize was domesticated through a 5,000-year-old process, mainly in South and Central America. Analysis of current maize cobs in North America is consistent with seed dispersal techniques of ancient South America that relied on human migration to spread geographically. Moreover, maize was essential for starch production in Central American communities more than 1500 years ago, indicating abundant availability of corn and other derived products. For example, in southwest Amazon for around 1,500 years, maize was utilized as a social commodity as Archaeogenomics indicated, while the grains evolutionary is consistent with human migration and varied use for commercial benefits.
The domestication of teosinte is evident through genetic maps developed in leading research institutions, including xxx. The genetic map offers evidence of domestication occurring in South American native lands before the arrival of Europeans. Evidence from genomes analysis is consistent with climate and weather changes that could have impacted the growth of maize on a large scale in South America. From the genetic map, researchers at the xxx concluded that maize evolved from teosinte, while human input resulted in softer and smaller kernels in corn.
The domestication of maize from teosinte was manifested as a linguistic trend since native communities utilized a familiar name to the farm product. As such, the cultural significance of teosinte increases the chances of the evolution of maize compared to being extinct in central and South America more than 7000 years ago.
Evolutionary genetics of maize attributed to human intervention I offering water to teosinte plantations and limiting extinction due to natural means such as catastrophes and natural calamities. The evolutionary genetics of teosinte is consistent with human efforts of increasing the adaptation of maize, by selecting viable ancient grass that would become modern corn.
Adaptation of ancient maize genomes was critical in developing a longer maize cob and kernel that local communities were fond of cultivating. An anthropologist from xxx attributes the social significance of teosinte and derivations of modern maize species as containing cultural and traditional importance, leading to widespread and large scale cultivation of maize.
The spread of current maize species in ancient agriculture is consistent with cultural significance, in wedding rituals, and rite of passage celebrations. Native would confer traditional importance of fertility and peace on maize since it offered growth and development to communities through diets and nutrition, in terms of growth, maize led to inter-community interactions through trade and signifying the passage of seasons through cultivation and harvesting. Similarities in the form and structure of maize and teosinte made the two plants interchangeable in ancient communities, hence heightening cultural and geographical significance in trade. Furthermore, the similar morphologies of maize and teosinte attribute to a common geographic origin since the local communities would depend on the plants for nutrients and social survival.
Modern studies, however, debate the exact origins of biodiversity and where adaptability was a crucial component in the evolution of teosinte into maize. Biodiversity refers to the presence of teosinte in diverse locations through central and South America leading to the ability of the organisms to withstand climatic and weather changes. Adaptability attributes to teosinte evolving to accommodate environmental variables such as prolonged droughts and interferences from immediate surroundings. Moreover, the adaptability of teosinte and maize could have been modified by ancient communities by focusing on farmland and large scale cultivation for social and economic reasons.
The process of the sequencing of nine archaeological plants to gain genetic origins and domestication of maize is through the study of the structure. Structural similarities between teosinte and maize are evident though an elongated cob and kernel despite the former being smaller in size. The sequencing process indicated similarities between teosinte and maize genomes, concluding the presence of a typical plant ancestor. In the process of genome sequencing, researchers found that in a group of 11 plants, 9 of them contained similar gene flow patterns alluding to domestication at geographically close locations in South and Central America. Moreover, sampling of more than 11 DNA plant profiles indicated common morphology despite centuries of biodiversity and adaptations.