(NewsNation) — International researchers who studied the prehistoric lineage of the modern potato have reached a surprising conclusion: The first spuds were partly derived from tomatoes 9 million years ago.
They speculate in an article published in the academic journal Cell that wild tomatoes mingled with a potato-like plant, Etuberosum, which notably did not produce nutrient-rich “tubers” underground. The hybrid result did, however, and thus was born an early version of the versatile, starchy potato that is prominently featured in produce aisles and restaurants today.
“A potato is the child of tomato and Etuberosum,” study participant Zhiyang Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences told The New York Times. “We did this analysis and we found, ‘Oh, he’s a child of two plants.’”
The researchers studied hundreds of genomes from cultivated and wild potatoes, but scientists previously suspected a potential connection among Etuberosum, tomatoes and potatoes, based on their features.
The ability of that first hybrid organism to store nutrients and water underground is considered an evolutionary breakthrough. The tomato parent is credited with providing the genetic switch for that characteristic, even though tomatoes don’t produce tubers.
Researchers say unlocking the mystery of the potato’s origin could lead to the development of more resilient and disease-resistant crops.