Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Piperno DR
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2664021 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Piperno Dolores R DR Ranere Anthony J AJ Holst Irene I Iriarte Jose J Dickau Ruth R
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20090323 13
Questions that still surround the origin and early dispersals of maize (Zea mays L.) result in large part from the absence of information on its early history from the Balsas River Valley of tropical southwestern Mexico, where its wild ancestor is native. We report starch grain and phytolith data from the Xihuatoxtla shelter, located in the Central Balsas Valley, that indicate that maize was present by 8,700 calendrical years ago (cal. B.P.). Phytolith data also indicate an early preceramic pres ...[more]