Cotton domestication occurred in Mexico and Peru

Upland cotton, the most common variety, was domesticated in the Yucatan Peninsula, not Peru as previously believed. Genetic studies reveal Upland cotton originated between 7,000 and 4,000 years ago in Mexico. Egyptian cotton also originated in the Americas, likely Peru or Ecuador. Cotton domestication involved intermixing of species and traits, resulting in the highly productive varieties used today, though synthetics now dominate clothing production.