"An ancient ear of corn shows that farmers made drastic genetic modifications to corn at least 4,400 years ago."

The news articles focus on "selective breeding" of years ago being the same as "genetic modification" today. But the reality is that 4,400 years ago, the corn was the same as today.

Which makes me suspect that 10,000 years ago corn was also the same. Because back then humans were just as sophisticated and clever as today.

If our world suffered a terrible cataclysm tomorrow, all traces of our advanced society might be lost - but corn would probably keep on growing!