1000 Years Ago Groups of People Moved to North America to Disperse This Now Globally Important Crop
All the staple crops in the human diet undertook a unique trajectory to world domination. Researchers have been dedicated for years to figuring out this trajectory and understanding this crop better. Many experts believe that more understanding will give them better pathways to protect these crops. A study published in Cell focuses on one such crop and investigates its path to people's plates in one form or another.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of York and the University of Copenhagen. The crop which is the subject of this study is maize. Past findings have already established that maize was first domesticated in Mexico. It is the journey after that which has been a puzzle for scientists. "We know that maize was domesticated in Mexico, but it has long been debated what route it took to regions of the U.S. to become what it is today - one of the most globally important food crops," Dr. Nathan Wales, from the University of York’s Department of Archaeology, said, stated Science Daily. The study reveals certain important aspects of this journey.
To understand the origin of this very important crop scientists garnered DNA from its 1,000-year-old specimen from rock shelters in the Ozark region of Arkansas. Through the DNA, researchers reconstructed the genomes of archaeological maize cobs and kernels and thereafter examined them closely. The analysis illuminated maize's dispersal journey for experts. The results indicate that the specimen shared similarities with modern Northern Flint varieties. These varieties are already known to researchers for their impeccable adaptation to cold climates and for being ancestors of one of the most commercially viable variants of maize. Researchers claimed that several groups of people from different parts of Mexico moved northwards for maize dispersal in North America.
The examination outcomes showcased that the genomes had ancestral links to both upland U.S. Southwest and southern Texas. This made the study assert that this variety entered eastern North America twice. Experts further stated that farmers played a pivotal part in introducing this crop in North America. "We also showed that maize could only be introduced into eastern North America once humans bred local varieties with the genetic tools to cope with the challenging environment of the region, which goes some way to demonstrating the skills and knowledge of farmers 1,000 years ago," Dr. Jazmín Ramos-Madrigal, from the Globe Institute at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark said.
The investigation concluded that when maize was transported from the U.S. Southwest across the Great Plains, it underwent some sort of selection. Researchers believe the categorization was primarily based on a gene, known as waxy1. This was possible because the gene controls characteristics like chewiness and stickiness, which makes the crop suitable for use in several dishes. Experts think this finding indicates that farmers even a millennia ago were choosing traits that would give them the yield best fitted for the most popular food preparations in their area.
Researchers are hopeful that the research will aid experts in the future to deal with issues plaguing this very important crop. "We now have a clearer idea of the journey it took from Mexico, and we better appreciate how regional varieties can become more globally significant than varieties grown near the domestication center. It is valuable information for crop breeders because they can chart the evolution of the crop, reintroduce any lost genetic diversity, or develop new varieties, which could be vital to helping food shortages in the future," Wales added.