The geographical spread of teosinte and maize is obtained through the study of prehistoric sediments across central and South America. A geographic range is essential in determining location origins of maize and offering inference son cultural significance of teosinte in ancient communities. Through the study, prehistoric sediments of lakes collect microfossils and use radiocarbon dating to determine classical periods the maize could have grown. The radiocarbon dates also offer insights on climatic and weather conditions more than 45oo years ago that could have facilitated the survival and spread of teosinte genomes in central and south America, especially Costa Rica and Nicaragua. By studying the prehistoric sediments. Researchers determine that maize was domesticated along rivers, lakes and swamps due to the availability of water and systems to transport it. Climatic and weather conditions were favourable in traditional cultivation of maize for subsistence and cultural significance in weddings, rites of passage, and settling inter-community disputes.
Environmental history indicates the cultivation of teosinte and maize concurrently since prehistoric sediments are evident in swamps in Central and South America. In Costa Rica, for instance, the availability of maize microfossils is consistent with tool use by native communities, indicating the level of biodiversity and cultural significance of teosinte before domestication.
Prehistoric sediments in northern Pacific lowlands of Nicaragua indicate the presence of cultivated maize through the process of domestication. The availability of maize in the Pacific lowlands of Nicaragua is evidence of numerous efforts by Native Americans to domesticate maize as it was perceived as having the nutritional capability to sustain communities. Moreover, archaeological excavations in Laguna Martínez also conform to the availability of maize in prehistoric sediments, affirming the assertion that maize was of economic and cultural significance. Limitations in northern Pacific lowlands of Nicaragua of having nutritional alternatives to maize encouraged the communities to domesticate more of teosinte, hence establishing the commodity for future generations,
Climatic conditions supporting the domestication of maize relied on the annual temperature of 22.5–25.0º C that was prevalent in ancient and native communities in Central America more than 5000 years ago. Annual temperatures were obtained through analysis of sediment cores through archaeological excavations hence affirming southern regions as the origins of maize for contemporary use. The temperature of 22.5–25.0º C could have favoured the cultivation of other crops alongside maize but with little commercial or cultural significance, as archaeological evidence from sites in central Panama indicate. In terms of rainfall, annual precipitation rates of 1500–2000 were conducive for the growth of maize in Mesoamerica and throughout the Pacific lowlands of Nicaragua. For instance, native communities were restricted geographically in domesticating maize along the Laguna Martínez (10.642 N, 85.197 W), with an average elevation of 340 m. as such, to improve water availability of communal and extensive scale cultivation of maize and teosinte, natives focused on domesticating plantations within 35 km east of the Miravalles lakes. Human effort and perseverance contributed to the abundant availability of maize and improving the potential to avoid extinction in periods of climatic and weather volatilities.
Environmental history of domestication is also evident in Cueva de Los Ladrones through the presence of prehistoric sediments that are carbon-dated to more than 4500 years. As such, these communities could have obtained maize or teosinte from migrating red Indians and other natives from central Mexico.