Professional Documents
Culture Documents
in Chiapas, Mexico
Hugo R. Perales*, Bruce F. Benz, and Stephen B. Brush
*Departamento de Agroecologa, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Panamericana y Periferico Sur sn, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, 29290,
Mexico; Department of Biology, Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth, TX 76105; and Department of Human and Community Development,
University of California, Davis, CA 95616
Communicated by B. L. Turner II, Clark University, Worcester, MA, November 24, 2004 (received for review August 22, 2004)
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCES
Table 1. Characteristics of communities sampled for maize in the highlands of Chiapas in 2000
Ethnolinguistic
group and
municipality
Tzotzil of Chamula
Tzeltal of Oxchuc
Community
Los Ranchos
Tentic
El Crucero
Pozuelos
Totals
Pacbilna
El Retiro
Piedra Escrita
Tushaquilja
Rancho del Cura
Totals
Common
garden
group*
Altitude,
m above
sea level
No. of
households in
community
No. of households
sampled for
maize
No. of maize
samples
Average maize
planting,
hectares
I
I
II
II
2,210
1,980
2,470
2,380
71
168
87
79
III
III
III
IV
IV
1,860
2,150
1,880
1,880
1,980
117
72
26
165
137
24
26
26
36
112
32
35
24
32
33
156
65
56
52
80
253
78
59
45
59
72
313
1.2
0.7
1.5
0.8
1.1
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.9
1.9
1.5
The two most common maize races of the Maya highlands are Oloton (Left) and Comiteco (Right).
in Chamula and half of those in Oxchuc reported being selfsufficient in the grain. A small but apparently regular amount of
seed is acquired from off-farm sources in each municipality.
Materials and Methods
Four Tzotzil communities in Chamula and five Tzeltal communities in Oxchuc were sampled for maize. Households were
randomly selected for sampling and data gathering. In the
Chamula villages, we sampled 112 households, and in Oxchuc we
sampled 156 households. A survey instrument was used to
determine household characteristics, as well as maize names,
characteristics, origin, and management.
Six ears of seed-quality maize were sought for each type sown
by each farm household in the 1999 season. In all, 253 maize
samples were collected in Chamula, and 313 were collected in
Table 2. Household characteristics by community
Characteristic*
Tzotzil speaking, %
Tzeltal speaking, %
Spanish speaking, %
Income from commerce, %
Family members migrated for
work, %
Planted maize in 1998, %
Sold maize last year, %
Maize harvest sufficient for
household needs, %
Number maize typeshousehold
(mean, SD)
No. of years with seed lot
(mean, SD)
Original seed lot from
community, %
Origin of seed lot from
parents, %
Yield of maize reported,
kghectares (mean, SD)
Tzotzil of
Chamula
Tzeltal of
Oxchuc
99.04
0.96
65.93
20.13
10.64
4.17
94.37
81.91
6.46
21.11
100
11.41
35.85
100
11.97
50.17
2.2 (0.2)
1.9 (0.2)
30.6 (5.9)
27.2 (4.5)
96.7
93.2
86.6
83.7
936.6 (189.0)
589.7 (200.8)
*Percentages are for households unless otherwise noted. Source for language
is ref. 22; otherwise, information is from field data.
Perales et al.
Oxchuc. Maize samples (239 for Chamula and 260 for Oxchuc)
were characterized for ear morphology (length, diameter, cob
diameter, and seed length, width, and thickness), and 40 samples
from Chamula and 49 samples from Oxchuc were measured for
cob characteristics (rachis diameter, cupule width, and rachid
length) by using a caliper and a microscope with an ocular
micrometer. Group comparisons were based on averages for
collections within communities.
Allele frequency was determined for eight isozyme loci for
maize landraces pooled within four Tzotzil communities from
Chamula and five Tzeltal communities from Oxchuc. Following
Stuber et al. (23), Acp, Est, Idh1, Idh2, Me, Pgd1, Pgd2, and Phi
were determined for 73 seeds from Chamula and 64 seeds from
Oxchuc. Modern varieties Mo17, Tx303, and B73 were used as
controls in each gel. Data were analyzed with Tools for Population Genetic Analysis (TFPGA) software. Among-population
genetic structure was analyzed by hierarchical F statistics according to Weir (24). Neis genetic distance (25) between
communities was calculated, and an unweighted pair group
method with arithmetic means dendogram was produced.
Reciprocal common gardens of maize landraces were planted
in two communities in each municipality in 2001. The gardens
purpose was to provide data on local adaptation of the maize
populations from the two municipalities. Thirteen maize varieties from the four communities of Chamula and 12 varieties
from the five communities in Oxchuc were planted in a randomized complete block design with three replicates; landraces
of the different colors were included for both municipalities. The
plots were rented from local farmers and managed according to
local practices but with more consistent fertilizer application
(120:46 N:P2O5). The garden blocks comprised 5 5 m plots
with three plants in 1 1 m hills, and data were taken from the
central 3 3 m section of each garden block. Some experimental
plots were lost, but in all cases at least two replicates per variety
were included. Data were analyzed as a factorial experiment for
each community (origin of seed color) with SAS statistical
analysis software general linear model procedures. Analysis of
yield data showed no significant differences by color (for example, F 1.96, P 0.1966 for Los Ranchos and F 0.37, P
0.8278 for Piedra Escrita), so the garden data are presented by
community and ethnic group irrespective of color.
Results
Survey information determined that 95% of the seed lots planted
in the 1999 season originated in the community examined. A
PNAS January 18, 2005 vol. 102 no. 3 951
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCES
Fig. 2.
Table 3. Phenological and morphological characteristics from reciprocal garden experiment for
Tzotzil and Tzeltal gardens
Tzotzil gardens
Tzeltal gardens
Seed origin
Seed origin
Characteristic
Tzotzil
Tzeltal
Tzotzil
Tzeltal
n
No. of days to tassel
No. of days to silk
Plant height, cm
Ear height, cm
Length of tassel, cm
No. of tassel branches
Length of ear, cm
Width of ear, cm
Length of grain, mm
Width of grain, mm
Thickness of grain, mm
Weight of grain, g
Cob width, cm
71
123.14
136.21
292.54
149.00
48.13
15.03
16.13
4.13
10.56
9.73
5.91
4.28
2.57
61
139.53
149.10
312.46
163.36
47.72
16.93
18.16
4.03
10.62
9.63
6.04
3.91
2.63
21.10***
13.62***
7.82 ns
6.09*
0.67 ns
13.52***
22.08***
3.44 ns
0.02 ns
0.46 ns
2.78 ns
7.55**
1.54 ns
76
110.36
127.03
280.90
138.55
46.11
15.50
13.77
3.94
9.95
9.66
6.27
4.16
2.42
71
119.72
131.82
303.75
162.77
46.78
16.41
18.65
4.12
10.56
9.96
6.15
4.51
2.62
47.77***
4.97*
6.72*
4.38*
1.63 ns
2.12 ns
68.74***
4.42*
18.18***
5.57*
1.35 ns
9.36**
15.74***
Table 4. Yields (tonshectare) of reciprocal gardens for 13 Tzotzil and 12 Tzeltal landraces
Garden location
Tzotzil
Origin of seed*
By ethnic group
Tzotzil
Tzeltal
n
By region
Tzotzil
Los Ranchos (I)
Pozuelos (II)
Tzeltal
Piedra Escrita (III)
Rancho del Cura (IV)
n (IIIIIIIV)
Tzeltal
Los Ranchos
(I)
Pozuelos
(II)
Piedra Escrita
(III)
3.40 b
4.05 a
3533
F 8.53
PF 0.0050
2.57 a
2.01 b
3733
F 6.97
PF 0.0105
2.28 b
3.95 a
3837
F 40.45
PF 0.0001
0.78 b
1.52 a
3834
F 23.42
PF 0.0001
3.82 ab
3.08 b
2.19 ab
2.90 a
3.10 b
1.54 c
1.18 a
0.47 b
4.01 a
4.17 a
1520258
F 5.41
PF 0.0025
1.96 b
2.15 ab
1720249
F 5.24
PF 0.0030
4.04 a
3.69 ab
1820289
F 24.64
PF 0.0001
1.44 a
1.75 a
1721259
F 15.41
PF 0.0001
*Origin of seed by region includes communities closest to the common garden (see Table 1). ANOVAs for
bifactorial experiment (origin of seed color of variety); color of grain was nonsignificant in all cases (data not
reported). Mean differences by Tukeys test (letters beside yields) are reported by common garden.
952 www.pnas.orgcgidoi10.1073pnas.0408701102
Perales et al.
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCES
1. Moore, J. L., Manne, L., Brooks, T., Burgess, N. D., Davies, R., Rahbek, C.,
Williams, P. & Balmford, A. (2002) Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. B 269, 16451653.
2. de Candolle, A. (1885) Origin of Cultivated Plants (D. Appleton, New York).
3. Kroeber, A. L. (1939) Cultural and Natural Areas of Native North America
(Univ. of California Press, Berkeley).
4. Nettle, D. (1999) Linguistic Diversity (Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford).
5. Brush, S. B. (2004) Farmers Bounty: Locating Crop Diversity in the Contemporary World (Yale Univ. Press, New Haven, CT).
6. Atran, S. Medin, D., Ross, N., Lynch, E., Coley, J., Ucan Ek, E. & Vapnarsky,
V. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96, 75987603.
7. Wood, D. & Lenne, J. (1999) Agrobiodiversity: Characterization, Utilization, and
Management (CABI, Wallingford, U.K.).
8. Benz, B. F. (2001) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 98, 21042106.
9. Anderson, E. (1947) Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 34, 433451.
10. Wellhausen, E. J., Roberts, L. M. & Hernandez-Xolocotzi, E. in collaboration
with Mangelsdorf, P. C. (1952) Races of Maize in Mexico (Bussey Institution of
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA).
11. Sanchez G. J. J., Goodman, M. M. & Stuber, C. W. (2000) Econ. Bot. 54, 4359.
12. Bellon, M. R. (1991) Hum. Ecol. 19, 389418.
13. Perales, R. H., Brush, S. B. & Qualset, C. O. (2003) Econ. Bot. 57, 720.
14. Sanchez, G. J. J & Goodman, M. M. (1992) Econ. Bot. 46, 7285.
15. Louette, D., Charrier, A. & Berthaud, J. (1997) Econ. Bot. 51, 2038.
16. Perales, R. H., Brush, S. B. & Qualset, C. O. (2003) Econ. Bot. 57, 2134.
17. Bellon, M. R. & Brush, S. B. (1994) Econ. Bot. 48, 196209.
954 www.pnas.orgcgidoi10.1073pnas.0408701102
18. Bretting, P. K., Goodman, M. M. & Stuber, C. W. (1990) Am. J. Bot. 77,
211225.
19. Breedlove, D. E & Laughlin, R. M. (1993) The Flowering of Man: A Tzotzil
Botany of Zinacanta
n (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC), Vol. 1.
20. Berlin, B., Breedlove, D. E. & Raven, P. H. (1974) Principles of Tzeltal Plant
Classification: An Introduction to the Botanical Ethnography of a MayanSpeaking People of Highland Chiapas (Academic, London).
21. Bellon, M. R. & Taylor, J. E. (1993) Econ. Dev. Cult. Change 41, 763786.
22. Instituto Nacional de Estadstica Geografa e Informatica (INEGI) (1991)
Chiapas, Final Results, Basic Tabulations, XI General Census of Population and
Housing, Vol. 1 and 2 (INEGI, Aguascalientes, Mexico).
23. Stuber, C. W., Wendle, J. F., Goodman, M. M. & Smith, J. S. C. (1988) Tech.
Bull. NC Agric. Res. Service 286, 187.
24. Weir, B. S. (1996) Genetic Data Analysis II (Sinauer, Sunderland, MA).
25. Nei, M. (1978) Genetics 89, 583590.
26. Ceballos, A. O. (2003) M.Sc. thesis (El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San
Cristo
bal, Chiapas, Mexico).
27. Pressoir, G. & Berthaud, J. (2004) Heredity 92, 8894.
28. Pressoir, G. & Berthaud, J. (2004) Heredity 92, 95101.
29. Zohary, D. (2004) Econ. Bot. 58, 510.
30. Boyd, R. & Richerson, P. J. (1985) Culture and the Evolutionary Process (Univ.
of Chicago Press, Chicago).
31. Soltis, J., Boyd, R. & Richerson, P. J. (1995) Curr. Anthropol. 36, 473494.
Perales et al.