Maize Domestication and Dispersal in the Americas

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Fryxell Symposium in Honor of Dolores Piperno" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Dolores Piperno’s work during the last four decades transformed our understanding of maize domestication and dispersal in the Americas. To honor this legacy we synthesize current genetic, paleoecological, and archaeological data regarding the early development of this globally important staple crop. Genetic evidence indicates initial domestication from teosinte (Zea mays, ssp. parviglumis) in the Balsas region of southwestern Mexico by ~9,000 years ago. Piperno’s work demonstrated early cultivation in this region and rapid dispersal through of Central and South America soon after domestication. The earliest cobs from the highlands of Oaxaca (6250 cal. BP) and Tehuacan (5300 cal. BP) are small (2–4 rows) and aDNA indicates the domestication syndrome was not fixed. Secondary improvement of maize occurred in South America and Mesoamerica by at least ~6700 and ~4300 cal. BP, respectively, with larger, multi-rowed varieties appearing when isotope studies show increasing consumption consistent with maize as a dietary staple. Genetic data suggest a subsequent hybridization with teosinte and a wave of dispersal from the highlands of Mesoamerica, as well as additional gene flow between continents during this interval.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Fryxell Symposium in Honor of Dolores Piperno   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35755.0