Archive · 3 Aug 2025
Potato's Origin: Tomato's Role in a 9-Million-Year-Old Secret
Imagine the potato, a food we eat all over the world!
Scientists have discovered its amazing origin story.
Long ago, about 9 million years, a wild tomato plant and another plant met in the Andes mountains.
They combined their genes, the tomato giving the instructions to grow tubers (the potato), and the other plant providing other key functions.
This created a new plant that could grow potatoes underground.
This helped the plant survive in cold, harsh conditions and provides a nutritious food source for people.
Scientists are now studying this to improve potato farming.
Research indicates the potato originated from a hybrid of a wild tomato and a potato-like plant about 9 million years ago.
The hybridization occurred in the Andes Mountains, coinciding with the uplift of the mountain range.
The tomato contributed genes for tuber formation, while the potato-like species Etuberosum lacked a tuber.
This genetic mix allowed the potato to store nutrients and adapt to the cold, harsh Andean conditions.
Scientists believe these findings could improve potato breeding to address environmental challenges.
- Who
- A wild tomato ancestor and a potato-like species, Etuberosum.
- What
- The potato originated from a natural hybridization between a wild tomato and a potato-like plant.
- When
- Approximately 9 million years ago.
- Where
- The Andes Mountains.
- Why
- The hybridization allowed the plant to store nutrients in tubers, adapting to the harsh Andean environment.
Perspective
View
New Crop Species
Perspective
N/A
View
The study may open the door to generating a new crop species that could produce tomato fruit above ground and potato tubers below ground.
- Key Gene from Tomato
- Genes for tuber formation
- Parent Plant
- Etuberosum
- Hybridization Location
- Andes Mountains
- Approximate Hybridization Time
- 9 million years ago
- Modern Potato Scientific Name
- Solanum tuberosum
