Did You Know? Potatoes Evolved from Ancient Tomato Interbreeding, Researchers Reveal the Fascinating Connection!

Meet potato’s surprising ancestor: the tomato. Yes, a fruit! They may look and taste different, but scientists now believe potatoes evolved from a tomato ancestor nearly 9 million years ago. This revelation comes from a study published in Cell.

The modern potato’s origin has puzzled experts for years. Initially, it was thought to resemble a species from Chile called Etuberosum. The key difference? Etuberosum doesn’t grow the starchy tubers we associate with potatoes. So how did we get the potato we know today?

Researchers found that while tomatoes don’t form tubers themselves, they carry an important gene. This gene, called SP6A, helps potatoes create tubers. Another gene from Etuberosum, called IT1, controls how underground stems grow to form these tubers. Both genes needed to mix to produce the beloved potato we enjoy now.

Dr. Sanwen Huang, leading the research at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, mentioned that this study reveals how hybridization can lead to new traits. “Our findings show how a hybridization event between species can spark the evolution of new traits,” Huang stated.

The research team analyzed 506 genomes from cultivated and wild potatoes, offering the most extensive genetic data on wild potatoes to date. Zhiyang Zhang, the paper’s lead author, noted that getting samples from wild potatoes has been a major challenge.

Interestingly, there’s also a linguistic link between potatoes and tomatoes. According to Merriam-Webster, the word “tomato” originated from “tomate,” coming from the Nahuatl word “tomatl.” The name “potato” influenced the spelling of “tomato” once both were introduced to English.

Potatoes and tomatoes have shaped diets worldwide. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, potatoes are among the top food crops, ranking fourth globally after rice, wheat, and maize. This research not only deepens our understanding of botany but also shows how interconnected our food sources are.

This fascinating connection between potatoes and tomatoes highlights nature’s complex web of evolution. As scientists explore these links, we gain insights that could drive agricultural innovation for the future.

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