From Migration to Adaptation: A Morphological Study of Fremont Maize Cobs in the Northern Colorado Plateau

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Innovation and Population Dynamics in Drylands" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Approximately 5,000 years ago, maize (Zea mays) spread from its native region in southern Mexico into the American Southwest, where it underwent significant phenotypic changes due to human selection pressures. These changes were crucial for maize to adapt to various environmental conditions, including heat, water stress, and cold climates. Despite this, there is limited information on how maize adapted after its migration into the northern periphery of the Colorado Plateau. This project presents a morphometric analysis of uncharred maize samples from seven Fremont archaeological sites in Utah, spanning various physiographic zones across the state. The analysis focuses on phenotypic variability and addresses change in maize cob attributes over time. It considers the influence of physiographic locality and environmental factors on agricultural practices in arid and semi-arid conditions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Innovation and Population Dynamics in Drylands

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53305