Tomato is ‘Mother’ of Potato, Scientists Find
For centuries, potatoes have been a staple crop in many parts of the world, providing a reliable source of nutrition for millions of people. But have you ever stopped to think about where potatoes came from? Well, scientists have just made a groundbreaking discovery that sheds new light on the origins of this beloved vegetable. According to a new study published in the journal Cell, modern potatoes evolved from a wild tomato ancestor around eight to nine million years ago.
The study, led by Dr. Sanwen Huang, a plant biologist at the University of California, San Diego, reveals that wild tomatoes in the Andes hybridized with a tuberless plant called Etuberosum, giving rise to the potato lineage. In other words, tomato is the mother of potato, and Etuberosum is the father.
So, how did this unlikely pairing lead to the creation of the potato? To understand this, let’s take a step back and explore the evolutionary history of tomatoes and potatoes.
Tomatoes and potatoes are both members of the Solanaceae family, a group of plants that includes a wide range of species, from peppers and eggplants to petunias and nightshades. Tomatoes, as we know them today, are thought to have originated from the wild tomato species Solanum lycopersicum, which is native to South America.
Wild tomatoes are characterized by their bright red color, small size, and lack of sugar content. They are also highly variable, with different populations exhibiting distinct characteristics, such as fruit size, shape, and color.
Potatoes, on the other hand, are thought to have originated from the wild potato species Solanum tuberosum, which is also native to South America. Wild potatoes are characterized by their small, tuberous roots and lack of starch content.
So, how did these two species come together to form the potato? To answer this question, Dr. Huang and his team sequenced the genomes of modern potatoes and their wild tomato ancestors. They found that the two species shared a common ancestor that lived around eight to nine million years ago.
Around this time, the Andes Mountains were forming, and the climate was becoming drier and colder. This led to the evolution of new plant species that were better adapted to these changing conditions.
One of these new species was Etuberosum, a tuberless plant that was able to thrive in the harsh Andean environment. Etuberosum was able to do this by developing a unique set of genes that allowed it to photosynthesize more efficiently and store more energy.
Meanwhile, the wild tomato ancestors were also evolving, developing larger fruit and more starch content. It was during this time that the two species began to hybridize, resulting in the creation of a new species that combined the traits of both parents.
Over time, this new species evolved into the potato we know today, with its characteristic tubers and high starch content. The potato was able to thrive in the Andean environment, becoming a staple crop for many indigenous communities.
So, what does this discovery mean for our understanding of the potato? For one, it highlights the importance of hybridization in the evolution of new species. By combining the traits of two different species, plants are able to adapt to changing environments and develop new characteristics that help them survive and thrive.
This discovery also sheds new light on the origins of the potato, a crop that has been a staple of human diets for thousands of years. By tracing the evolutionary history of the potato back to its wild ancestors, we gain a greater appreciation for the complex and fascinating history of this crop.
In conclusion, the discovery that tomato is the mother of potato, and Etuberosum is the father, is a groundbreaking finding that sheds new light on the origins of this beloved vegetable. By understanding the evolutionary history of the potato, we gain a greater appreciation for the complexity and diversity of plant species, and the important role that hybridization plays in their evolution.
Source:
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00736-6
