Maize,also known as corn, is a cereal grain that was domesticated in Mesoamerica.

The domestication of maize is of particular interest to researchers - especially archaeologists, geneticists, ethnobotanists and geographers.

Recent genetic evidence suggests that maize domestication occurred 9000 years ago in central Mexico.

Perhaps as early as 1500 BC, maize began to spread widely and rapidly.

It is unknown what precipitated its domestication, because the edible portion of the wild variety is too small and hard to be eaten directly, as each kernel is enclosed in a very hard bi-valve shell.

However, it has been demonstrated that the kernels of teosinte can be readily "popped" for human consumption, like modern popcorn.

Maize is widely cultivated throughout the world, and a greater weight of maize is produced each year than any other grain..

For more information about the topic Corn, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

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Related Stories

Maize (Corn) May Have Been Domesticated In Mexico As Early As 10,000 Years Ago (June 30, 2008) — 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 ...  > read more

Earliest Signs Of Corn As Staple Food Found After Spreading South From Mexican Homeland (March 25, 2008) — A new technique for examining ancient cooking pots has produced the earliest directly dated examples of domesticated corn (maize) being consumed on the South American continent. The discovery shows ...  > read more

Anthropologist Finds Earliest Evidence Of Maize Farming In Mexico (April 10, 2007) — Anthropologists have new evidence that ancient farmers in Mexico were cultivating an early form of maize, the forerunner of modern corn, about 7,300 years ago -- 1,200 years earlier than scholars ...  > read more

RAMOSA Gene Network Influences Grain Architecture And Yield In Maize (June 27, 2008) — The closest wild relative of maize, teosinte, does not look very promising as food. The ear is tiny compared to the domesticated one, and the grains are surrounded by hard fruitcases that are ...  > read more

Simulating Kernel Production Influences Maize Model Accuracy (September 23, 2007) — By combining two approaches to model maize productivity, researchers have increased the accuracy of maize yield predictions. These findings may help to improve yield predictions throughout the world. ...  > read more

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