Maize-fed animals may have helped Maya farmers solve corn's protein deficiency

Maize (corn) is a major dietary staple in Maya communities past and present because of its reliability, potential for surplus, and suitability as both food and fodder.

It became so important to ancient Mesoamerican communities that it even became central to many of their religious beliefs, and arguably, they built their societies on it.

Yet maize has a major nutritional limitation. ...