Archive: Around Town

The Museum of the Earth at the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) announced the opening of a fascinating new exhibition, “Maize: Mysteries of an Ancient Grain!” made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation and a collaboration with Cornell University. The exhibit explores the science of why maize has been one of the most significant crops to humankind for thousands of years and why it continues to surprise us.

Maize is the largest production crop in the world, and it plays a central role in all of U.S. agriculture and food production. By examining the long history of maize domestication, especially modern genetic advancements, visitors will gain a deeper understanding of evolution and how it can be used to improve everyday life. Visitors will learn about the history of maize from the religious ceremonies of the Maya to the biofortification of crops in Africa. From the wild grass, teosinte, the most likely ancestor of maize, to the genetic selection in modern maize production, we see the process of evolution in action—in this case, by human selection, rather than natural selection.

The ancient grain maize was among the many organisms that evolutionary scientist, Charles Darwin, examined. In his travels to South America, Darwin recognized the tremendous variation in maize, and its long history of intentional breeding. In regards to domestication, Darwin stated:

“Although man does not cause variability and cannot even prevent it, he can select, preserve, and accumulate the variations given to him by the hand of nature almost in any way which he chooses; and thus he can certainly produce a great result.”

In this exhibition the Museum explores how scientists utilize the process of evolution to encourage the selection of “functional” and useful mutations for increased disease resistance, healthier and larger plants, and maintained diversity. Diversity among a species can provide a plant with a buffer against changes in its environment, providing the flexibility to adapt. In extreme situations, for example drought or disease epidemics, diversity could be essential for the survival of the population.

Visitors will learn about the science behind the domestication, evolution, genomics, and plant breeding, the process by which scientists create new plants with improved qualities. Scientists are using conventional and molecular plant breeding to try to combat world health issues, such as, Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), a major health problem for millions of people (especially women and children) in the developing world. VAD, if untreated, results in maternal mortality, reproductive disorders, impaired growth and night blindness which can progress to complete blindness and often death.

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