The development and domestication of maize ear

Abstract Maize is amongst the most agriculturally and economically important crops to human beings. It was domesticated from a wild relative called teosinte. During domestication, maize has experienced drastic morphological transformations, such that it produces fewer ears, each of which bears many more kernels covered by soft and reduced glumes. The striking differences between maize and teosinte make the origin of maize ear a fascinating question, which has been fiercely and actively debated for more than a century. Over the past few decades, the discovery of numerous key genes and genetic pathways has greatly deepened our understanding of the mechanisms underlying maize ear development and domestication. In this review, by providing an overview of the morphogenetic processes of maize and teosinte ears, and the molecular mechanisms of maize ear development, we highlight key morphodynamical distinctions between maize and teosinte ears. By recapitulating historical accounts and summarizing recent advances regarding maize domestication, we present the current understanding and propose a model for the origin of maize ear.