The potato, a staple food in many cultures around the world, has an unexpected origin story. Research suggests that it emerged 9 million years ago as a result of a unique hybridization between an ancestor of the tomato and an ancient South American plant.
According to a study published in the journal Cell, scientists at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences analyzed the genetic material of cultivated potato varieties and 44 wild species. The results revealed a mix of genetic material from Solanum tuberosum (the traditional potato) and an ancestor of Solanum lycopersicum (the tomato).
The finding indicates that modern potatoes arose from a process involving hybridization between an ancient tomato plant and other plants in the Etuberosum family, which did not previously produce tubers. This biological innovation allowed the first potatoes to adapt to different climates and expand globally.
Researchers also identified key genetic genes involved in this process, including the SP6A gene, which determines whether a plant develops tubers, and the IT1 gene, which regulates the growth of subway stems that form edible tuber tissues. By combining these findings with geological data, scientists proposed a hypothesis about the origin of the potato, suggesting it emerged during the Miocene era as a result of cold climatic changes in South America.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/science-reveals-the-surprising-origins-of-the-potato