Potatoes Evolved From Tomatoes, New Study Finds

In a groundbreaking revelation, genome biologist Sanwen Huang has made significant strides in understanding the evolution of potatoes. His latest discovery may come as a shock: modern potatoes are actually descendants of tomatoes. This finding challenges long-standing beliefs about the origins of these widely consumed vegetables.

A recent publication in the journal Cell outlines how Huang’s research team determined that the contemporary potato likely originated around 9 million years ago, when tomato plants hybridized with the species etuberosum, a potato-like plant found in Chile. For years, the origins of the modern potato have puzzled scientists, but this new evidence provides clarity, overturning the previous notion that potatoes evolved solely from etuberosum.

“Indeed, we have established that the tomato is the progenitor of the potato,” confirmed Huang, who serves as a professor of agricultural genomics at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in an interview with Gizmodo.

The etuberosum plant resembles the familiar grocery store potato, yet it lacks a key anatomical feature: the tuber. This is a specialized structure of the stem or root that allows potatoes and their relatives to store nutrients and reproduce effectively. Interestingly, genomic studies indicated that potatoes share significant genetic characteristics with tomatoes, as Huang explained, highlighting their complex evolutionary relationship.

This revelation led researchers to speculate that potatoes, tomatoes, and etuberosum are not just related by chance, but rather are part of a familial lineage. To substantiate their theory, Huang and his colleagues undertook a comprehensive analysis, examining 450 genomes from cultivated potato varieties along with 56 different species of wild potatoes. They constructed over 3,000 family trees to depict the genetic relationships among modern potatoes, tomatoes, and etuberosum.

Their findings were significant: approximately 50.66% of the family trees identified tomatoes as a sister to petota, the category of wild potatoes that produce tubers. Following this, they performed an extensive statistical analysis to compare their findings against existing genetic data. Ultimately, they concluded that the most plausible explanation is that modern potatoes are hybrids of tomatoes and etuberosum, with tomatoes contributing a larger share of the genetic material.

Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of this research is that the genes responsible for the formation of the potato’s tubers are derived from a blend of genetic information inherited from both parent plants, despite neither tomatoes nor etuberosum possessing tubers themselves. Specifically, tomatoes contribute the gene that triggers tuber formation, while etuberosum provides a gene that regulates tuber growth.

This unique genetic mechanism opens the door to potential agricultural advancements aimed at developing potatoes that are less likely to exhibit harmful mutations, as Huang noted. Although this area of research is still evolving, the potato expert is eager to delve deeper into this fascinating genetic relationship.

“The next time you enjoy a plate of potatoes, remember to thank a tomato—the ancient progenitor of the potato,” Huang remarked. “The DNA evidence confirms they are indeed family!”