Public lecture at the San Francisco Exploratorium on corn. Part of their Science of Food series http://www.exploratorium.edu/press-office/press-releases/science-food-series-launches-exploratorium

1. Corn: Diversity and Origins
Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra
@jrossibarra • www.rilab.org
University of California, Davis
Photo: Jason Wallace

2. tassel (male)
ear (female)
Photo: U. Nebraska-Lincoln
corn
(maize)

3. tassel (male)
ear (female)
Photo: OllieMartin
Photo: U. Nebraska-Lincoln
corn
(maize)

4. tassel (male)
ear (female)
Photo: OllieMartin
Photo: U. Nebraska-Lincoln
Photo: © HD WIlson
corn
(maize)

5. Photo: Rosana Prada

6. Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/croptrust/

7. Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dandelion-and-burdock/

10. A
C
T
G

11. Photo: Michael Neugebauer
1.2% DNA difference
Photo: USDA

12. Photo: Michael Neugebauer
1.2% DNA difference1.6% DNA difference
Photo: USDA

13. Original DNA

14. Mutation
Original DNA

15. Original DNA Transposon
Barbara McClintock
1902-1992

16. Original DNA Transposon
Barbara McClintock
1902-1992

17. Original DNA Transposon

18. Photo: Damon Lisch

19. purple:
no transposon
Photo: Damon Lisch

20. purple:
no transposon
yellow:
transposon
inserted
Photo: Damon Lisch

21. purple:
no transposon
yellow:
transposon
inserted
spots:
transposon jumps
Photo: Damon Lisch

22. purple:
no transposon
yellow:
transposon
inserted
spots:
transposon jumps
Photo: Damon Lisch

23. no transposon
Photos: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
transposon

24. A
T
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T

25. A
T
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T

26. A
T
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T

27. A
T
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T

28. A
T
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
C
G
A
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
G
C
T
traditional (landrace)

29. A
C
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
modern industrial corn

30. A
C
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
modern industrial corn

31. A
C
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
Modern Industrial Corn

32. A
C
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
Modern Industrial Corn

33. A
C
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
Modern Industrial Corn

34. A
C
G
G
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
A
C
G
G
C
T
A
T
G
A
C
T
Modern Industrial Corn

35. Beadle 1979 Field Museum of Natural History Bulletin
maize or
F1
teosinte
Zea mays ssp. parviglumis
maize
Zea mays ssp. mays
George Beadle

36. maize or
F1
teosinte
Zea mays ssp. parviglumis
maize
Zea mays ssp. mays
teosinte
parviglumis
teosinte
mexicana
modern
corn
Matsuoka 2002 PNAS

37. teosinte
parviglumis
teosinte
mexicana
modern
corn
Matsuoka 2002 PNAS

42. Photos: Matt Hufford, Brandon Gaut, John Doebley

44. teosinte
teosinte
modern
corn

45. modern
corn
teosinte

46. modern
corn
teosinte

47. modern
corn
reconstructed
ancestral corn
01
010
0010
01011
01111
10

48. modern
corn
reconstructed
ancestral corn
01
010
0010
01011
01111
10

51. Highland
Route

52. Highland
Route
Pacific
Route

53. Photo: Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites

54. Highland
Route
Pacific
Route

55. Highland
Route
Pacific
Route
modern
Chapalote
modern
Palomero

56. Highland
Route
Pacific
Route
modern
Chapalote
modern
Palomero
Tularosa Cave

57. Highland
Route
Pacific
Route
3,000 yrs
modern
Chapalote
modern
Palomero

58. Highland
Route
Pacific
Route
3,000 yrs
modern
Chapalote
modern
Palomero
2,000 yrs 1,000 yrs

59. Highland
Route
Pacific
Route
3,000 yrs
modern
Chapalote
modern
Palomero
700 yrs2,000 yrs 1,000 yrs

60. 01
010
0010
01011
01111
10