Potato’s Shocking Hybrid Origin Revealed: A Tomato Ancestor’s Role

Ancient Andes Uplift Catalyzed Tuber’s Creation

The humble potato, a global staple and versatile ingredient, has a surprisingly complex evolutionary past. New genetic research indicates it arose from an unprecedented crossbreeding event involving a tomato ancestor, fundamentally altering our understanding of this crucial food source.

Unprecedented Genomic Analysis Uncovers Hybridization

A comprehensive genomic study, the most extensive to date, has pinpointed the potato’s origins to a remarkable hybridization event approximately 9 million years ago. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences analyzed numerous cultivated and wild potato species, revealing a stable genetic mix between *Solanum tuberosum*, the common potato, and an ancient South American plant related to the tomato.

This groundbreaking finding suggests that the potato we know today is the product of interbreeding between an ancestral tomato plant and other *Solanum* species from the Etuberosum family, which did not previously produce tubers. The study’s results have been published in the esteemed journal Cell.

Evolutionary Timeline: From Common Ancestor to Tuber Powerhouse

Both the potato and the tomato share a common ancestor dating back roughly 13 million years. Four million years later, their descendants successfully interbred. This union resulted in a new plant capable of forming tubers, specialized underground structures that store carbohydrates. This biological innovation was key to the potato’s ability to spread across diverse climates.

The research also identified specific genes crucial to this development. The SP6A gene, believed to control tuber formation, originates from the tomato lineage. Conversely, the IT1 gene, which governs the growth of the underground stems that become edible tubers, comes from the Etuberosum family plants native to South America.

Andes Uplift: A Geological Trigger for Potato Evolution

Considering the timeline and the geographical locations of the involved species, scientists hypothesize that the geological upheaval of the Andes Mountains during the Miocene epoch played a significant role. The collision of tectonic plates created new, colder climatic zones, forcing plants to adapt. Researchers believe this environmental pressure spurred the hybridization event that created the potato.

This ancient adaptation has had a profound impact on human history. The introduction of the potato from the Americas is estimated to have contributed to about a quarter of the population growth in the Old World between 1700 and 1900, according to one study. Today, global potato production exceeds 350 million metric tons annually, underscoring its vital role in feeding the world’s population (Statista, 2023).