Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn

Split image of a small shoot of corn and a fully developed ear of yellow corn. Caption: could be the ancestor of maize.

Ten thousand years ago, corn didn’t exist anywhere in the world, and until recently scientists argued vehemently about its origins. Today the crop is consumed voraciously by humans, by livestock, and as a major part of processed foods. So where did it come from? Evolutionary biologist Neil Losin tells the story of the genetic changes involved in the transformation of a wild grass called teosinte into corn. Evidence from genetics supports archeological findings pinpointing corn’s origins to a very particular time and place in Mexico.

(Source: DCMP)

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  • Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn

    Type:
    Video
    Format:
    Streaming
    Accommodations:
    English Audio Descriptions - Visual, English Captions - Auditory, Spanish Audio Descriptions - Visual, Spanish Captions - Auditory
    Languages:
    English, Spanish
    License:
    OER
    Author:
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute
    Length:
    18 minutes