There is a variety of studies. Some of the past 10 years:

http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/greenhouse-time-machine-sheds-light-corn-domestication

http://phys.org/news/2013-04-ancient-puebloans-myth-maize.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153124.htm

http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.aspx?id=17600

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/bs-lgs060112.php

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/nsf-scm053112.php

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-09/uow-jge092311.php

http://phys.org/news/2011-08-corn.html

http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/20914.aspx

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-10/ajob-tam100209.php

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080627163156.htm

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-03/stri-fac022406.php

http://phys.org/news4301.html

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-01/asop-teo011906.php

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-07/cshl-tgo072005.php

http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041129/full/news041129-8.html

Regards,

Joachim

Thanks for the references--so what was the end result?

I looked at a few of the articles listed above but did not find those useful for the question.

It is clearly established through DNA analysis that maize was derived from a single mutation in a single Zea mays ssp parviglumis plant (teosinte). The chance of that mutation is 1 in 4,000,000 or rarer and has not been observed in the wild.

Maize did not evolve from the hybridization of teosinte and another wild grass, in particular, Tripsacum.

Probably some of the most accessible discusiion on the origin and evolution of maize can be found in the first few chapters of  Histories of Maize (2006), edited by John Staller, Robert Tykot, and Bruce Benz.

I hope this answers your question.