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Teosinte inflorescence phytolith assemblages mirror Zea taxonomy.

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Teosinte fruitcases contain unique opaline phytoliths. Rondel phytolith assemblages statistically differentiate teosinte taxa, enabling archaeological investigation of human teosinte use.

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Area of Science:

  • Paleoethnobotany
  • Archaeobotany
  • Plant science

Background:

  • Molecular DNA analyses have clarified the taxonomy of the New World grass genus Zea, identifying Zea mays ssp. parviglumis as the likely progenitor of maize (Zea mays ssp. mays).
  • Archaeological evidence regarding the human use of teosinte, both before and after maize domestication, remains limited.
  • Opaline phytoliths, microscopic silica structures found in plant tissues, offer a potential avenue for exploring these archaeological relationships, specifically those produced in teosinte fruitcases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if rondel phytolith assemblages from teosinte fruitcases accurately reflect teosinte taxonomy.
  • To assess the potential of using phytolith analysis to investigate the archaeological history of teosinte utilization by humans.

Main Methods:

  • Multidimensional scaling (MDS) and multiple discriminant analyses (MDA) were employed to analyze rondel phytolith assemblages.
  • Phytolith assemblages were examined from fruitcases of various teosinte taxa, including subspecies.

Main Results:

  • Statistical discrimination of rondel phytolith assemblages was achieved across different teosinte taxa and subspecies.
  • The findings confirm that phytolith assemblages possess taxonomic significance within the genus Zea.

Conclusions:

  • Rondel phytolith assemblages from teosinte fruitcases provide a statistically robust indicator of taxonomic identity.
  • This phytolith-based approach holds significant promise for future archaeological investigations into the historical use of teosinte by human populations, contingent upon the availability of suitable archaeological samples.