Potato's ancient hybrid origin with tomato and South American plant revealed

A new study reveals the potato's origin as an ancient hybrid between tomato and a South American plant. This hybridization created tubers, crucial for its global food importance. Researchers analyzed 128 genomes, confirming the potato's lineage. The resulting tubers provided a growth advantage, enabling the plant's diversification and widespread cultivation. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the potato's development and highlights the complex, dynamic nature of natural systems and plant evolution.