Identification of teosinte, maize, and Tripsacum in Mesoamerica by using pollen, starch grains, and phytoliths.

ABSTRACT: We examined pollen grains and starch granules from a large number of modern populations of teosinte (wild Zea spp.), maize (Zea mays L.), and closely related grasses in the genus Tripsacum to assess their strengths and weaknesses in studying the origins and early dispersals of maize in its Mesoamerican cradle of origin. We report new diagnostic criteria and question the accuracy of others used previously by investigators to identify ancient maize where its wild ancestor, teosinte, is native. Pollen grains from teosinte overlap in size with those of maize to a much greater degree than previously reported, making the differentiation of wild and domesticated maize in palynological studies difficult. There is presently no valid method for separating maize and teosinte pollen on a morphological

SUBMITTER: Holst I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2077075 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature