Local adaptation and gene flow in teosinte

In spite of their close relationship with domesticated maize, little is known about the evolutionary genetics of the teosintes.  Here, we apply dense SNP genotyping of 21 populations of two wild subspecies of Zea mays to investigate patterns of population structure, local adaptation, and gene flow with domesticated maize.  We find evidence of strong population structure, identify loci associated with environmental variables or which show evidence of local adaptation, and show admixture between wild populations.  We also sample and genotype a number of sympatric maize populations to investigate genome-wide patterns of introgression between teosinte and maize and the resilience of particular genomic regions to the swamping effects of gene flow.  Our results highlight the utility of genomic tools developed for model systems in understanding the ecology and evolution of their wild relatives.