Theories on the origin of Maize

GEORGE BEADLE ­ BELIEVED CORN WAS DERIVED FROM TEOSINTE BY MUTATIONS THAT:

1. PRODUCED A NON SHATTERING SPIKE AND

2. RESULTED IN A SOFT OR REDUCED FRUIT CASE

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TRIPSACUM ­ EASTERN GAMA GRASS, ONCE THOUGHT TO BE A POSSIBLE ANCESTOR OF CORN.

PAUL MANGELSDORF ­ IN AN EARLY THEORY ON THE ORIGIN OF CORN, HE SUGGESTED TRIPSACUM MIGHT BE ONE PARENT. HE LATER SUGGESTED THAT BOTH CORN AND TEOSINTE WERE DERIVED FROM HYBRIDIZATION OF AN ANCESTRAL CORN AND A NOW EXTINCT PRIMITIVE POPCORN.

RECENTLY, MARY EUBANKS HAS PRODUCED A HYBRID BETWEEN TRIPSACUM AND ZEA DIPLOPERENIS THAT LOOKS LIKE A PRIMITIVE CORN. THIS FOLLOWED A SUGGESTION BY MANGELSDORF AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF Z. DIPLOPERENNIS.

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HUGH ILTIS ­ SUGGESTED THAT MODERN CORN IS DERIVED FROM TEOSINTE AND THE EAR IS NOT DERIVED FROM A COB BUT FROM THE FEMINIZATION OF A CENTRAL SPIKE BY A MAJOR MUTATION THAT HE TERMED,:

CATASTROPHIC SEXUAL TRANSMUTATION (CST)

JOHN DOEBLEY, A FORMER STUDENT OF ILTIS, HAS DONE MOLECULAR WORK THAT SUGGESTS MODERN CORN WAS DERIVED FROM TEOSINTE. TWO ANNUAL TEOSINTES SEEM PARTICULARLY CLOSE:

ZEA MAYS SUBSPECIES MEXICANA AND

ZEA MAYS SUBSPECIES PARVIGLUMIS

The origin of maize by Catestrophic Sexual Transmutation. (From Hugh H. Iltis):