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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
Favorited By
17 Users
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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.

Details
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

This resource complies with accessibility standards in accordance with the final rule for Section 508 of the National Rehabilitation Act.
Version History
Date Published 03.02.15
Date Updated 05.14.20
Curriculum Connections
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 (2013)

II.C

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

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