两个世纪以来,科学家从遗传学、考古学、语言学等方面追索玉米的祖先及其进化途径。关于玉米起源曾有四种主要学说:第一种,栽培玉米源始于有稃玉米(Wild pod corn);第二种,玉米最近缘的祖先是大刍草(Teosinte),或叫墨西哥类蜀黍;第三种,野玉米、大刍草和摩擦禾(Tripascum)起源于一个共同的祖先,有各自独立的进化道路;第四种,栽培玉米是上述三种植物的结合体。即野玉米来源于有稃玉米;大刍草是野玉米与摩擦禾的杂交后代,以后大刍草又与摩擦禾多次天然杂交,最后进化 For two centuries, scientists have traced maize ancestors and their evolutionary ways from genetics, archeology and linguistics. There are four main theories about the origins of corn: the first is that the source of cultivated corn begins with wild pod corn; the second, the closest ancestor of corn is Teosinte, or Mexican sorghum Thirdly, wild corn, herbaceous plants and Tripascum originated from a common ancestor with separate evolutionary paths. The fourth, cultivated corn is a combination of these three plants. That is, the wild corn comes from the corn with corn. The grass is the cross between the wild corn and the rubbing grass, and then the natural grass hybrids with natural ruby ​​grass several times before finally evolving