Some observations made during an environmental impact study in Angangueo Mich. revealed some interesting phenotypical changes associated with soil silver concentration in the flora.

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t´s well known that heavy metals are capable to produce free radicals which can perform escisions in the DNA, then, it´s concluded that heavy metals (Ag in that case) can induce dramatic phenotypical changes in living beings.

   In the summer of 1991, seeds of Zea mays ssp mexicana (teosinte) free of maize intrusion were treated with increasing concentrations of sulfate cupric in the moment of germination. Cultivation of harvested seeds have allowed us to obtain prehistorical maize ears. This macroevolutive step from teosinte to maize supports Iltis´ Sexual Catastrophical Transmutaion Theory about maize origin.

     Why have we decided to use copper to induce maize mutations?, this is because copper is a heavy metal which has a biochemistry better studied than other heavy metals and participates estructurally in some enzymes.

    Begin to browse through the mutations detected in teosinte which indicated that it evolved to maize during this research.

Published in "La importancia biológica de los iones inorgánicos" edited by 
Universidad Michoacana

http://farma.qfb.umich.mx/maize1.htm