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Letter

Nature Genetics 39, 544–549 (1 April 2007) | doi:10.1038/ng2001

The heterochronic maize mutant Corngrass1 results from overexpression of a tandem microRNA

George Chuck , A Mark Cigan , Koy Saeteurn & Sarah Hake

Retention of juvenile traits in the adult reproductive phase characterizes a process known as neoteny, and speculation exists over whether it has contributed to the evolution of new species. The dominant Corngrass1 (Cg1) mutant of maize is a neotenic mutation that results in phenotypes that may be present in the grass-like ancestors of maize.