Scientists have discovered that modern potatoes evolved from an ancient crossbreeding event between wild tomato plants and a potato-like species called Etuberosum approximately 9 million years ago in South America.
Research published in Cell journal involved analyzing 450 genomes from cultivated and wild potato species, revealing that neither parent plant could originally grow tubers until this hybridization occurred.
The breakthrough came from two critical genes: SP6A from the tomato lineage that signals tuber formation, and IT1 from Etuberosum that controls underground stem growth, working together to create the potato's signature tubers.
According to senior researcher Sanwen Huang from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, this represents the first documented case where hybridization generated an entirely new type of plant organ—the tuber.
Ole Seehausen from the University of Bern notes this evolutionary innovation gave potatoes a massive survival advantage in harsh environments, fueling an explosion of new species that contributed to the rich diversity of potatoes we depend on today.
