A team of international scientists has finally cracked one of the greatest botanical puzzles: the evolutionary origin of the humble potato. According to a groundbreaking study published in the journal Cell, today’s cultivated potatoes are the product of an ancient hybridization between two very different plants a wild ancestor of the modern tomato and a now-extinct, tuber-forming species called Etuberosum.
The study, led by Sanwen Huang and his colleagues at the Agricultural Genomics Institute in China, draws on the largest genomic dataset of potatoes ever assembled. The researchers examined over 450 domesticated potato genomes and 56 wild relatives. Their findings suggest that all modern potatoes contain approximately 60% of their genetic makeup from Etuberosum and 40% from a tomato-like ancestor. This fusion, they say, occurred nearly nine million years ago, likely in the high Andes of South America.
The hybridization event between these two unrelated plants triggered an evolutionary leap. Two genes were central to this transformation: SP6A, inherited from the tomato side, which regulates flowering and growth, and IT1, from the Etuberosum line, responsible for tuber development. When combined, they created a plant that could form underground tubers, giving it a key advantage in survival and reproduction especially in the cold, high-altitude conditions of the Andes.
These tubers became not just evolutionary adaptations, but later, the basis of agricultural revolution. With the rise of human civilizations, especially in the Andean regions, the potato became a staple food. Today, it is the third most consumed food crop in the world, after rice and wheat.
What makes this discovery so remarkable is the unusual pairing. Tomatoes and potatoes, while members of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), were not believed to have shared such a close evolutionary entanglement. Yet this study shows that a random, ancient genetic mix-up led to one of the world’s most important crops quite literally a product of botanical serendipity.
“This wasn’t just a hybrid,” says lead author Huang. “It was a successful, stable lineage that adapted, thrived, and diversified into over 100 wild potato species we see today.” The timing of this hybridization coincides with the uplift of the Andes Mountains, a geological shift that created new environmental challenges and opportunities for plant species.
The discovery is more than a fascinating footnote in evolutionary history it may also unlock new possibilities for modern agriculture. Scientists believe the unique genetic blend that created the potato could inspire cross-breeding efforts to develop hardier, more climate-resilient varieties.
One especially futuristic idea: combining desirable traits of both tomato and potato plants to engineer dual-purpose crops a “tomtato,” so to speak where tomatoes grow above ground and potatoes underground. Though still a speculative concept, the understanding of these evolutionary mechanics brings it closer to reality.
In a world increasingly challenged by food insecurity and climate change, understanding how key crops like potatoes evolved may hold the key to feeding future generations. What began as a random genetic meeting millions of years ago has today become a global agricultural powerhouse.
The new study not only sheds light on how nature built the potato, but also rekindles appreciation for evolution’s slow, creative magic a reminder that some of the most impactful innovations come not from human laboratories, but from the wild experiments of nature itself.