In South America, a weedy corn relative, teosinte, dresses the edges of domesticated cornfields. 在南美洲的玉米田周围，长著它们的野生亲戚，蜀黍。
Many of the major structural differences between maize and teosinte map to a few key chromosome regions. 玉蜀黍和大刍草染色体之间主要的结构差异，大多定位在少数的关键区域。
Corn became so dissimilar to its ancestor, teosinte, that its origin was commonly disputed until very recently [see illustration above]. 玉米和其祖先大刍草的外观大相迳庭，直到最近，有关它们的起源的争议才平息（见上图）。
Changes in a second gene that is active during seed development help to transform the stony, mineral-encased seeds of teosinte into the softer, more exposed kernels of maize. 第二个发生改变的基因活跃于种子发育时期，使得坚硬且被矿物质包围的大刍草种子，转变成柔软而容易取得的玉米子。
The potent influence of such genes is illustrated by the modern maize plant, which looks completely different from a wild, weedy ancestor called teosinte in Central America. 这种基因的强力影响，可以用现代玉蜀黍和它那长得完全不像的野生祖先大刍草（原产于中美洲的草本植物）来解说。
TCP genes, including Teosinte Branched 1(TB1) in maize, Cyclodiea (Cyc) in snapdragon and PCF1 and PCF2 in rice etc. , constitute a newly discovered gene family which encode transcription regulators in plants. TCP基因是一类植物中新发现的、可能具有转录因子活性的基因家族 ,成员包括金鱼草的Cy clodiea (Cyc)、玉米的TeosinteBranched1 (TB1 )以及水稻中的PCF1、PCF2等。
