Where did corn come from? Genetic and archeological data point to what may seem like an unlikely ancestor. Discover the secret of corn in this HHMI BioInteractive educational video.
Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn tells the story of the genetic changes involved in the transformation of a wild grass called teosinte into corn. Evidence from genetics supports archeological findings pinpointing corn’s origins to a very particular time and place in Mexico. Use this video to see how a small number of genetic changes can have a dramatic effect on an organism.
msamba 
This is highly interesting. He says that they changed Teosinte (?) into maize, but I guess they did not use gene manipulation 9000 years ago, I guess it was random gene mutation and they took it from there.
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I assumed they simply planted the seeds of those specimens which seemed “better” for one reason or another, emphasising changes, which over time led to maize?
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But in those specimen one gene must have mutated or have a so called failure. That happens in nature. And then the first mutated plant maybe didn’t have these hard casings, so they used that one for breeding. I mean, the changes came from change in genes, and they didn’t have gene manipulation then, I guess.
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You’re right of course (see my post on Belyaev above)!
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I was thinking, after reading your post about the domesticated animals developing special traits like light fur with dark patches, floppy ears etc. caused by domestication induced changes of a hormone, if a similar process could happen in domesticated plants. That they start changing just because they are being domesticated, cared for.
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I would imagine so since everything seems to have genes?
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Yes, maybe it is obvious … it wasn’t to me … 😉 … it only dawned on me after I read your domestic animal post and thought I was clever … 😉
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That was the point I was trying to make with theists but I see myself as intelligent but NOT clever (I often only see things if they are lined up in front of my train of thought).
I started thinking about how the Incas developed the potato and tomato from the deadly nightshade family – how did they overcome the danger in the initial steps. Even this process of selective breeding must have resulted in illness for some…
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My dictionary uses clever and intelligent as synonyms, so I guess there is a distinction between the two made in Britain?
I am sure some people got ill. But what made them persevere? I mean instead of just avoiding the plant in future. Somehow they found out that only parts of the plants were poisonous. By trial and error?
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That’s plausible since potato fruits are poisonous although they look like a green tomato, but the tubers will help you survive a winter, since they keep well. They must have been a refreshing complement to maize in their diet as well (if they were developed first).
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My uses of the words clever and intelligent were much influenced and reinforced by a talk I saw that decribed the change in the meaning of clever over time, and which described it travelling up the arm metphorically.
Originally clever described an artisan who made a clever device (a watch or some other device), then it was applied to the object itself and the skill of the person who constructed it, then was abstracted to the thought process behind it’s construction, then became a concept abstracted from context entirely, and applied to the person themselves.
Clever I use in the sense of ,”quick to catch hold of” whilst intelligent in the sense of choosing between concepts and the ability to use that information in a variety of different ways, sometimes abstracted from their original context?
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Very interesting, so a clever person can for example learn easily at school, but is not necessarily capable to use the learning in different situations. O.K., then I’d rather be intelligent as well … 😉
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