Browsing by Autor "Addie Thompson"

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Archaeological Bolivian maize genomes suggest Inca cultural expansion augmented maize diversity in South America
(2025) Huan Chen; Amy Baetsen-Young; Addie Thompson; Brad Day; Thelma F. Madzima; Sally Wasef; Claudia Rivera Casanovas; William A. Lovis; Gabriel Wróbel
Abstract Previous archaeological and anthropological studies have demonstrated the myriad of ways that cultural and political systems shape access to food and food preferences. However, few studies have conducted a biocultural analysis linking specific genotypic/phenotypic traits as evidence of cultural selection in ancient contexts. Here, we provide insight into this topic through ancient genome data from Bolivia dating to ∼500 BP, included as an offering with the mummified remains of a young girl, including 16 archaeological maize samples spanning at least 5,000 years of evolution, and 226 modern maize samples. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that the archaeological Bolivian maize (aBM) has the closest genetic distance to the archaeological maize from ancient Peru, which in turn shared the most similarities with archaeological Peruvian maize. With the increased presence of the Inca state in the central Andes and its interactions with local agricultural traditions, genetic diversity of maize increased. The ovule development process was selected from modern maize and was compared to archaeological maize; where it indicates the breeding programs aimed at enhancing seed quality and yield in modern maize. Our study provides insights into the complex biocultural role that Inca Empire expansion, including its economic, symbolic and religious cultural practices, may have had in driving the expansion of maize diversity in South America.
Author response: Fifteenth century CE Bolivian maize reveals genetic affinities with ancient Peruvian maize
(2025) Huan Chen; Amy Baetsen-Young; Addie Thompson; Brad Day; Thelma F. Madzima; Sally Wasef; Claudia Rivera Casanovas; William A. Lovis; Gabriel Wróbel
Genomic evidence from 15th-century Bolivian maize reveals similarity to Central Andean maize from Peru, and pre-Inca and Inca-era breeding that enhanced maize development through selection within Andean agricultural networks.
Fifteenth century CE Bolivian maize reveals genetic affinities with ancient Peruvian maize
(eLife Sciences Publications Ltd, 2025) Huan Chen; Amy Baetsen-Young; Addie Thompson; Brad Day; Thelma F. Madzima; Sally Wasef; Claudia Rivera Casanovas; William A. Lovis; Gabriel Wróbel
Previous archaeological and anthropological studies have demonstrated the myriad of ways that cultural and political systems shape access to food and food preferences. However, few studies have conducted a biocultural analysis linking specific genotypic/phenotypic traits as evidence of cultural selection in ancient contexts. Here, we provide insight into this topic through ancient genome data from Bolivian maize dating to ~500–600 BP, included as an offering with the mummified remains of a young girl. These data are compared to 16 previously published archaeological maize samples spanning at least 5000 years of evolution, and 226 modern maize samples. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that the archaeological Bolivian maize (aBM) has the closest genetic distance to the archaeological maize from ancient Peru, which in turn shared the most similarities with archaeological Peruvian maize. During the period of interaction between the Inca state and local polities in the central Andes and consequent interactions with local agricultural traditions, the genetic diversity of maize increased. Ovule development in modern maize was selected and compared to those in archaeological specimens, revealing evidence of targeted breeding strategies aimed at improving seed quality and yield. While the cultural origin of the maize – either Inca or local Aymara – is uncertain, we demonstrate that the samples are most similar to Peruvian maize and potential targeted selection strategies for enhanced growth were well established by the 15 th century.
Fifteenth century CE Bolivian maize reveals genetic affinities with ancient Peruvian maize
(eLife Sciences Publications Ltd, 2025) Huan Chen; Amy Baetsen-Young; Addie Thompson; Brad Day; Thelma F. Madzima; Sally Wasef; Claudia Rivera Casanovas; William A. Lovis; Gabriel Wróbel
Previous archaeological and anthropological studies have demonstrated the myriad of ways that cultural and political systems shape access to food and food preferences. However, few studies have conducted a biocultural analysis linking specific genotypic/phenotypic traits as evidence of cultural selection in ancient contexts. Here, we provide insight into this topic through ancient genome data from Bolivian maize dating to ~500-600 BP, included as an offering with the mummified remains of a young girl. These data are compared to 16 previously published archaeological maize samples spanning at least 5000 years of evolution, and 226 modern maize samples. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that the archaeological Bolivian maize (aBM) has the closest genetic distance to the archaeological maize from ancient Peru, which in turn shared the most similarities with archaeological Peruvian maize. During the period of interaction between the Inca state and local polities in the central Andes and consequent interactions with local agricultural traditions, the genetic diversity of maize increased. Ovule development in modern maize was selected and compared to those in archaeological specimens, revealing evidence of targeted breeding strategies aimed at improving seed quality and yield. While the cultural origin of the maize - either Inca or local Aymara - is uncertain, we demonstrate that the samples are most similar to Peruvian maize and potential targeted selection strategies for enhanced growth were well established by the 15<sup>th</sup> century.
Fifteenth century CE Bolivian maize reveals genetic affinities with ancient Peruvian maize
(2025) Huan Chen; Amy Baetsen-Young; Addie Thompson; Brad Day; Thelma F. Madzima; Sally Wasef; Claudia Rivera Casanovas; William A. Lovis; Gabriel Wróbel
Abstract Previous archaeological and anthropological studies have demonstrated the myriad of ways that cultural and political systems shape access to food and food preferences. However, few studies have conducted a biocultural analysis linking specific genotypic/phenotypic traits as evidence of cultural selection in ancient contexts. Here, we provide insight into this topic through ancient genome data from Bolivian maize dating to ∼500-600 BP, included as an offering with the mummified remains of a young girl. These data are compared to 16 previously published archaeological maize samples spanning at least 5,000 years of evolution, and 226 modern maize samples. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that the archaeological Bolivian maize (aBM) has the closest genetic distance to the archaeological maize from ancient Peru, which in turn shared the most similarities with archaeological Peruvian maize. During the period of interaction between the Inca state and local polities in the central Andes and consequent interactions with local agricultural traditions, the genetic diversity of maize increased. Ovule development in modern maize was selected and compared to those in archaeological specimens, revealing evidence of targeted breeding strategies aimed at improving seed quality and yield. While the cultural origin of the maize – either Inca or local Aymara – is uncertain, we demonstrate that the samples are most similar to Peruvian maize and potential targeted selection strategies for enhanced growth were well established by the 15 th century. Significance Statement Maize has been improved through selective breeding delivering desirable horticultural, agronomic, and cultural characteristics, related to environment, nutrition, etc. Inca culture was closely associated with maize diversity, but there is little evidence to show how and why culture influenced that diversity and modern maize biogeographic patterns in South America. We show that in the 15 th century CE, maize diversity in the central Andes was enhanced through selection for specific traits associated with reproduction. We hypothesize that this may have contributed to maize becoming a staple under the Inca, as happened previously with expanding Tiwanaku interactions and influence during the Middle Horizon.
Fifteenth century CE Bolivian maize reveals genetic affinities with ancient Peruvian maize
(2025) Huan Chen; Amy Baetsen-Young; Addie Thompson; Brad Day; Thelma F. Madzima; Sally Wasef; Claudia Rivera Casanovas; William A. Lovis; Gabriel Wróbel
Previous archaeological and anthropological studies have demonstrated the myriad of ways that cultural and political systems shape access to food and food preferences. However, few studies have conducted a biocultural analysis linking specific genotypic/phenotypic traits as evidence of cultural selection in ancient contexts. Here, we provide insight into this topic through ancient genome data from Bolivian maize dating to ∼500-600 BP, included as an offering with the mummified remains of a young girl. These data are compared to 16 previously published archaeological maize samples spanning at least 5,000 years of evolution, and 226 modern maize samples. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that the archaeological Bolivian maize (aBM) has the closest genetic distance to the archaeological maize from ancient Peru, which in turn shared the most similarities with archaeological Peruvian maize. During the period of interaction between the Inca state and local polities in the central Andes and consequent interactions with local agricultural traditions, the genetic diversity of maize increased. Ovule development in modern maize was selected and compared to those in archaeological specimens, revealing evidence of targeted breeding strategies aimed at improving seed quality and yield. While the cultural origin of the maize – either Inca or local Aymara – is uncertain, we demonstrate that the samples are most similar to Peruvian maize and potential targeted selection strategies for enhanced growth were well established by the 15th century.