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Re: evolution of corn



In article <19970606205010133037@pppm28.kiel.netsurf.de>, lav@magnet.at
(Thilo Pfennig) wrote:

> Larry Caldwell <larryc@teleport.com> wrote:
> 
> > Corn was originally bred from a native Mexican grass called teosinte.
> > Genetically it displays several instances of polyploidy.  It has been
> > bred for so long that for centuries the original cultivar was unknown,
> > and was not finally determined until gene analysis became sophisticated
> > enough in the 1980's. 
> 
> This is VERY interesting. How does it came to other continents? Must
> have been before Columbus ? Any web-sources about this?


Most folks 'in-the-know' believe that corn (maize, Zea mays) was
introduced to Europe by Columbus and then rapidly spread elsewhere. 
However, there are those who believe otherwise.  For more info on this
alternative viewpoint see: [http://www.io.org/~yuku] or write to  Yuri
Kuchinsky <yuku@mail.trends.ca>.  

I personally do not find the 'evidence' for a pre-Columbian introduction
of maize to the 'old-world' compelling.


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