Final answer:
True, corn is an obligatory cultigen and cannot survive without human cultivation. It has been genetically modified from teosinte to become a staple crop worldwide, and is critical to various industries.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, corn is an example of an obligatory cultigen. Corn, also known as maize (Zea mays), is an annual grass that has become obligately tied to human agriculture for its survival. Through the millenia, indigenous peoples of what is now Mexico have transformed a wild grass called teosinte into the modern corn we recognize today. This genetic modification started thousands of years ago through selective breeding processes. Unlike teosinte, corn does not have a wild counterpart that could survive without human cultivation. Today, maize is a major agricultural crop critical to various industries, including food products, animal feed, and biofuels. It has undergone further modification through plant biotechnology and hybrid seed production, leading to dramatic changes in agricultural practices and the development of seed companies.