Directed evolution has proved to be an effective strategy for improving or altering the activity
of biomolecules for industrial, research and therapeutic applications. The evolution of …

Crop production needs to increase to secure future food supplies, while reducing its impact
on ecosystems. Detailed characterization of plant genomes and genetic diversity is crucial …

A better understanding of the extent of convergent selection among crops could greatly
improve breeding programs. We found that the quantitative trait locus KRN2 in maize and its …

Maize is a globally valuable commodity and one of the most extensively studied genetic
model organisms. However, we know surprisingly little about the extent and potential utility …

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is one of the founder crops that likely drove the Neolithic transition to
sedentary agrarian societies in the Fertile Crescent more than 10,000 years ago. Identifying …

Since the development of single-hybrid maize breeding programs in the first half of the
twentieth century, maize yields have increased over sevenfold, and much of that increase …

Domestication is a good model for the study of evolutionary processes because of the recent
evolution of crop species (< 12,000 years ago), the key role of selection in their origins, and …

Deleterious effects of climate change and human activities, as well as diverse environmental
stresses, present critical challenges to food production and the maintenance of natural …

Carbohydrate import into seeds directly determines seed size and must have been
increased through domestication. However, evidence of the domestication of sugar …

Abstract For more than 10,000 years, the selection of plant and animal traits that are better
tailored for human use has shaped the development of civilizations. During this period …