Re: Fw: Line breeding vs hybridization corn/maize.

In a message dated 6/24/2001 8:37:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
ju-bo@email.msn.com writes:

<< I do not believe the reference to 'maize corn' (below) being only able to
 reproduce with man`s assistance to be correct---in the wild, both the more
 primitive ('wild') forms as well as the more 'advanced' (improved) forms of
 maize/corn can and are 'planted' by the activities of wild animals, who
 'open' the enclosing modified leaves to get at the seed/kernels contained
 within, and a certain small percentage of these are dislodged by them to
 fall and germinate, thus carrying on the plants lineage, as it was with the
 original 'design'.   >>

Julius,

I think you are correct that maize can be disseminated by natural means but 
to my knowledge maize has not been recognized as a natural species for nearly 
half a century. When I was in college Dr. Charles Heiser was one of the 
researchers. I remember his economic botany lectures going into great detail 
into the bigeneric origin of maize - apparently created and nurtured into its 
final form by Indians of southern Mexico and Central America.

    Jim Langhammer
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