Science reveals the origins of sudden potatoes

There is more From a hundred ways to Prepare potatoesAnd thousands of stories began with a snapped vodka from this tuber. For centuries, potatoes were useful in feeding the growing population in the world. According to one TicketThe introduction of potatoes from the Americas formed about a quarter of the population growth in the ancient world between 1700 and 1900.

Now, the flag reveals the origins of the amazing vegetables: it has appeared 9 million years ago as a result of the extraordinary hybridization between the predecessors of tomatoes and the ancient South American plants. This revelation rewrites the evolutionary history of one of the most widely consumed foods in the world, and explains how a simple tuber has become the basic pillar of the global diet.

The researchers at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences conducted the most comprehensive genetic analysis so far on domesticated potatoes. They studied the cultivated varieties along with 44 species of wild, which paid an unprecedented genetic sequence. The results revealed a stable mix of genetic materials between Solaum Tuberosum (Traditional potatoes) found from Solaum Lycopersicum (Tomatoes).

The result indicates that the potatoes, as we know, today originated from the crossbringing process between the old tomato plant and others SolanumRelated species of ETUBEROSUM The family that, until then, did not produce tubers. The results were published in the magazine cell.

Both potatoes and tomatoes participate in a common ancestor who lived about 13 million years ago. Four million years later, their grandchildren succeeded in Interbred. From this union, a new factory has appeared with the ability to form tubers: metro structures that store energy in the form of carbohydrates and allow reproduction without the need for seeds or vaccination. This biological innovation facilitated the expansion of the first potatoes in areas with various climates, from warm to cold environments.

The study also identified the detection of genetic details. SP6A gene, which is considered the “key” that determines whether the plant will develop tubers, comes from tomatoes. On the other hand, the IT1 gene, which regulates the growth of the metro stems ETUBEROSUM The family, its homeland, South America.

By looking at the chronological sequence of hybridization and a geographical procedure for the species concerned, the researchers suggested a hypothesis about the origin of potatoes. During myosin, between 10 and 6 million years old, the sudden geology of the Andes Mountains, led by the collision of two tecton plates, was born new cold climatic areas. Scientists believe that this geological change forces plants to adapt to survival and expansion, with two of them join together to form Solaum TuberosumAnd that will end up millions of years after hamburger in the form of fried potatoes.

This story was originally appeared on Wireless En español It was translated from Spanish.