Potatoes Evolved From a Hybrid of Tomatoes and Another Plant

Scientists have long known that potatoes are closely related to tomatoes, yet certain genetic evidence pointed elsewhere. The mystery was solved when researchers discovered that potatoes are actually a hybrid—the offspring of ancient tomato ancestors and a group of plants called Etuberosum. Neither of these parent plants has tubers. But through the genetic mixing, potatoes inherited the right combination of genes to create these starchy underground storage organs. This chance hybridization happened 9 million years ago, just as the Andes were forming and creating new high-elevation habitat. While tomatoes prefer hot and dry conditions and Etuberosum likes cold and wet, potatoes combined the best of both worlds to thrive in the mountains. Six to seven thousand years ago, humans near Lake Titicaca domesticated a single species, giving rise to all the potato varieties we eat today.