Maize was first domesticated in which region?

• A. Andean highlands
• B. Mesoamerica
• C. Eastern North America
• D. West Africa

Answer: (B)

Maize was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, the region that covers present-day Mexico and parts of Central America. Archaeological evidence shows that people in southern Mexico began selectively breeding the wild grass teosinte thousands of years ago, producing the larger, more reliable ears and kernels we recognize as maize. The earliest domesticated maize dates to roughly nine thousand years ago, with the best-known early sites in Oaxaca and nearby areas.

This regional origin makes sense because Mesoamerican farmers were among the first to practice systematic agriculture, and maize became a central staple crop there, supporting complex civilizations like the Maya and later the Aztec. The other regions listed—Andean highlands, eastern North America, and West Africa—were not the places where maize was first domesticated; maize spread to these areas later through diffusion and exchange.