Unraveling the history of maize domesticates reveals a complex journey into South America The domestication of plants and animals and their dispersal across the globe triggered a millennia-long process by which human activity has become the dominant influence on climate and the environment (1). Domestication was a watershed development that ushered in the Anthropocene (2). How, when, where, and why humans embarked on this path is central to understanding how we might chart our way in an uncertain future. On page 1309 of this issue, Kistler et al. (3) report on the dispersal of maize into and across northern South America. The study contributes to the growing appreciation of domestication as a complex, coevolutionary journey taken by humans and receptive plant and animal species over hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The study also joins others in showing how human populations incorporated dispersing domesticates into indigenous systems of exploitation and manipulation of local resources. More broadly, this research speaks to the promise of domestication research in assessing fundamental questions about evolution and the interface of natural and cultural systems that shape it.

中文翻译：

---

玉米的传播先于驯化吗？

解开玉米驯化的历史揭示了进入南美洲的复杂旅程 植物和动物的驯化及其在全球的传播引发了一个长达数千年的过程，在这个过程中，人类活动已成为对气候和环境的主要影响 (1)。驯化是人类世的分水岭发展（2）。人类如何、何时、何地以及为何走上这条道路是理解我们如何在不确定的未来规划道路的核心。在本期第 1309 页，Kistler 等人。(3) 关于玉米在南美洲北部扩散的报告。该研究有助于人们日益认识到驯化是人类和接受性植物和动物物种在数百年（如果不是数千年）中进行的复杂的共同进化之旅。该研究还与其他研究一起展示了人类如何将分散的驯养纳入当地资源的开发和操纵系统。更广泛地说，这项研究表明驯化研究在评估关于进化的基本问题以及塑造它的自然和文化系统的界面方面的前景。