Genetic Mechanism Reveals How Corn Adapted Rapidly Across America

Scientists identify Teosinte Pollen Drive as a key factor in maize's quick adaptation and spread over millennia.

Researchers traced maize domestication back 9,000 years, highlighting its crossbreeding with teosinte mexicana.
The Teosinte Pollen Drive (TPD) system allows corn to pass on advantageous traits by eliminating competing pollen.
This genetic discovery explains maize's rapid adaptation to various climates and its widespread cultivation.
The findings have significant implications for agriculture, including potential applications in crop improvement.
The study draws parallels between the genetic processes in maize and those in animal domestication, including humans.