The science shows the surprise roots of the potato
There are more numbers More than a hundred ways to make potatoes and thousands of stories have begun with the shooting of Vodka. For centuries, potatoes have been effective in feeding the growing population of the world. According to one study, the introduction of potatoes from the American continent has about a quarter of the population growth in the old world between 1700 and 1900.
Now, science shows the surprise origin of the vegetables: 9 million years ago as a result of unusual hybridization between the ancestors of tomato and ancient South American ancient plant. This revelation rewrites the evolutionary history of one of the most consumable foods in the world and also explains how a simple gland became the main global diet.
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have done the largest genomic analysis to date on domestic potatoes. They studied all kinds of crops with 44 wild species and performed unprecedented genetic sequence. The results showed a sustainable mixture of genetic material Sulfus (Traditional potatoes) and a grandfather Lycopersicum (Tomatoes).
This finding suggests that potatoes, as we know today, are due to the process of hybridation between ancient tomato plant and more. AreaEtuberosum family species that did not produce glands until then. The results have been published in the Journal of Cell.
Both potatoes and tomatoes have a common ancestor who lived about 13 million years ago. Four million years later, their children were successfully intertwined. The union created a new plant with the ability to form glands: metro structures that store energy in carbohydrates and reproduce without the need for seed or pollination. This biological innovation facilitates the expansion of the first potatoes to areas with diverse climates, from hot to cold environments.
The study also identified genetic details. The SP6A gene considers the “switch” that determines a gland plant, resulting from tomatoes. On the other hand, the IT1 gene, which regulates the growth of subway stems that make up the edible gland, is an Etuberosum family plant native to South America.
Researchers, considering the hybrid and geographical events of the species involved, presented a hypothesis about potato origin. During Miocene, between 10 and 6 million years ago, the sudden increase in anode geology caused a new cold climatic area caused by two tectonic collisions. Scientists believe that this geological change forces plants to adapt to survival and expansion, while two of them join together to form. SulfusMillions of years later end with your hamburger in the form of French fried potatoes.
This story appeared first Wired en espaƱol And translated from Spanish.