Ancient Peruvians used bird guano to fertilize maize and build a major civilization in the Chincha Valley in Peru.

The Chincha Kingdom was transporting seabird excrement from islands to valleys as early as the 13th century, and this ...

A study published today in Cell uncovers the deep evolutionary roots of flint and dent maize (also commonly known as “corn”), two foundational varieties central to modern maize breeding and ...

Before the Inca civilization rose to power in what’s now Peru, the Chincha Kingdom reigned as a prosperous society on the country’s southern coast. Now, scientists have discovered that seabird ...

Archaeological analysis of items from a pre-Inca Peruvian kingdom reveals their prosperity was built on bird poop.

Researchers have tested ancient DNA from corn found at archaeological sites in Arkansas, shedding new light on the dispersal of one of the world's most important food crops. Researchers have tested ...

Seabird poop played a key role in Chincha Kingdom agriculture, fueling economic growth and political influence in ancient ...

Originally published in 2006 by Academic Press. STRI copy purchased with funds from the S. Dillon Ripley Endowment. Contents I. Histories of maize: genetic, morphological, and microbotanical evidence.

After it was first domesticated from the wild teosinte grass in southern Mexico, maize — or corn — took both a high road and a coastal low road as it moved into what is now the U.S. Southwest, reports ...