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Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn

Topic

  • Genetics
  • Gene Expression & Regulation
  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Plant Anatomy & Physiology
  • Evolution
  • Artificial Selection

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Short Films

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:17:51
Used In
1 BioInteractive Playlists
Saved By
30 Users
Share This
View in Spanish

Description

This film explores the genetic and archaeological evidence that suggest that corn is the result of the domestication of a wild Mexican grass called teosinte.

Ten thousand years ago, corn didn’t exist anywhere in the world, and until recently scientists argued vehemently about its origins. Today, the crop is consumed voraciously by us, by our livestock, and as a major part of processed foods. So where did it come from? This film tells the story of the genetic changes involved in the transformation of teosinte into corn and the supporting archaeological evidence pinpointing this transformation to a particular time and place in Mexico.

The “Abbreviated Film Guide” provides a short summary of the film, along with key concepts and connections to curriculum standards.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Key Terms

archaeology, crossbreeding, domestication, maize, Mexico, microfossil, selective breeding, teosinte

Primary Literature

Beadle, G.W. 1977. “The origin of Zea mays.” In Origins of Agriculture, edited by C. E. Reed, 615–535. The Hague: Mouton.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files partially meet criteria. Video files meet criteria. Spanish files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 03.02.15
Date Updated 05.14.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1.A, HS-LS3.A, HS-LS3.B, HS-LS4.A

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1, EVO-3, IST-1, IST-2, IST-4, SYI-3

IB Biology (2016)

2.7, 3.1, 3.4, 5.1, 9.3, 10.2

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.1

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

5.2

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC2, CC3

Materials

HD (M4V) 679 MB
HD (WMV) 549 MB
SD (M4V) 152 MB
SD (WMV) 137 MB
Transcript (PDF) 205 KB
Spanish Dub (MP4) 311 MB
Transcript - Español (PDF) 273 KB
Abbreviated Film Guide (PDF) 752 KB

Use This Resource With

Activity Resource
Activity for Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn
Activity Resource
The Teosinte Hypothesis
Activity Resource
Stalking the Genetic Basis of a Trait
Interactive Media Resource
Interactive Assessment for Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn

Explore Related Content

Other Resources About Corn

Showing of
Photo of corn next to teosinte from the activity
Lessons
The Teosinte Hypothesis
Image from the activity
Data Points
Selective Breeding in Maize
Image from the activity
Data Points
Dating Corn Domestication Using Carbon Isotopes
Illustration of a teosinte plant next to a corn plant
Lessons
Stalking the Genetic Basis of a Trait
Image of an ear of corn from the film
Film Activities
Activity for Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn
Screen shot of the quiz
Interactive Videos
Interactive Assessment for Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn

Other Related Resources

Showing of
Image of an ear of corn from the film
Film Activities
Activity for Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn
Screen shot of the quiz
Interactive Videos
Interactive Assessment for Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn
Illustration of a teosinte plant next to a corn plant
Lessons
Stalking the Genetic Basis of a Trait
Image from the activity
Data Points
Selective Breeding in Maize
Photo of corn next to teosinte from the activity
Lessons
The Teosinte Hypothesis
Image from the interactive
Click & Learn
Natural and Artificial Selection
Image of an ancient dog drawing from the video
Clips
Dog Breeding
Microscopy image of root growth
Phenomenal Images
Root Movement
Photo of elephant without tusks
Phenomenal Images
Mystery of the Missing Tusks
Image from the activity
Data Points
Dating Corn Domestication Using Carbon Isotopes

This Resource Appears in the Following Playlists

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Teaching Gene Regulation Using Corn and Stickleback Fish
7 Resources
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