A groundbreaking new study has finally unraveled the evolutionary origins of the potato, one of the world’s most important food crops. Surprisingly, researchers have discovered that the modern potato plant evolved through a natural hybridization event with a wild tomato plant in South America around 9 million years ago.
The discovery, published in the journal Cell, comes after an extensive genomic analysis of over 450 cultivated potato genomes and 56 wild potato relatives. It shows that the potato lineage emerged when a tomato-like species interbred with a potato-like ancestor, resulting in the development of the tuber — the underground nutrient-storage organ that defines the potato today.
🧬 THE POTATO-TOMATO HYBRID THAT SHAPED GLOBAL AGRICULTURE
The evolutionary fusion between these two species triggered a genetic reshuffling that led to the potato’s most defining trait: the tuber. While tomatoes are known for their edible fruits, potatoes became agriculturally valuable for their underground storage organs, which allow them to thrive in cold, nutrient-poor environments.
“This natural hybridization gave rise to a plant uniquely suited for the harsh, dry, and cold conditions of the rising Andes mountains,” said Dr. Sanwen Huang, senior author of the study and a genome biologist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Researchers identified two key genes responsible for tuber formation, highlighting a significant evolutionary leap that enabled potatoes to adapt, survive, and later become a staple food source.
🌱 FROM THE ANDES TO THE WORLD: THE RISE OF THE MODERN POTATO
The hybrid plant emerged during a period of rapid Andean mountain uplift, which created new high-altitude ecosystems. The tuber allowed this new plant to store nutrients, reproduce asexually, and endure cold climates, paving the way for its widespread survival and domestication.
“Tubers gave the potato an advantage over many other crops in mountainous regions. They helped it thrive where fertility and growing conditions were challenging,” added botanist Sandra Knapp from the Natural History Museum, London.
Today, the cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) is the third most consumed food crop globally, after rice and wheat. It includes nearly 5,000 varieties, and its production spans continents—from the Andes to Asia, with China currently the largest global producer.
🍅 A PATH TO THE FUTURE: TOMATO-BASED POTATO ENGINEERING
This evolutionary revelation could transform modern potato breeding. According to Zhiyang Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher involved in the study, understanding this hybrid origin may allow scientists to use the tomato plant as a model for synthetic potato development, helping eliminate harmful mutations and improve resilience.
“We could engineer a future crop that grows tomato fruits above ground and potato tubers below, using insights from their shared ancestry,” Zhang said.
This new research could also lead to climate-resilient potato varieties, helping address food security challenges in the face of global warming.
🌎 BEYOND THE POTATO: THE NIGHTSHADE FAMILY CONNECTION
Both the potato and tomato belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), which includes other familiar crops such as tobacco, peppers, and eggplants. Although people consume different parts of these plants—fruits in tomatoes and tubers in potatoes—their leaves, flowers, and structures are remarkably similar.
“If you let your potato plant flower and fruit, the fruits look like small green tomatoes—but they’re not edible,” warned Knapp.
The study did not explore other South American tuber crops like sweet potato and cassava (yuca), as they belong to entirely different plant families.
