Maize diversity associated with social origin and environmental variation in Southern Mexico.

ABSTRACT: While prevailing theories of crop evolution suggest that crop diversity and cultural diversity should be linked, empirical evidence for such a link remains inconclusive. In particular, few studies have investigated such patterns on a local scale. Here, we address this issue by examining the determinants of maize diversity in a local region of high cultural and biological richness in Southern Mexico. We collected maize samples from villages at low and middle elevations in two adjacent municipalities of differing ethnicity: Mixtec or Chatino. Although morphological traits show few patterns of population structure, we see clear genetic differentiation among villages, with municipality explaining a larger proportion of the differentiation than altitude. Consistent with an important role of soc

SUBMITTER: Orozco-Ramirez Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4834384 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature