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For something so ordinary, the potato has had a quite remarkable history. From its origins as a reliable crop grown by a small population of mountain dwellers in South America to one of the most important food crops on the planet, the humble spud has fuelled empires and revolutions, filled the bellies of the poor, adorned the costumes of ...
The story of potato started around 350 million years ago, when they started to evolve from the poisonous ancestor of the plant nightshade (this family of plants eventually evolved not only into potatoes, but also into tobacco, chili peppers, bell peppers and tomatoes ).
Mar 3, 2020 · The potato was domesticated in the South American Andes some 8,000 years ago (Credit: Ernesto Benavides/Getty Images) A staple food for cultures across the globe, the tuber has emerged as a...
The history of potatoes can be traced back to the high Andes Mountains of South America, specifically the regions of modern-day Peru and Bolivia. The ancient civilizations of the Incas and the Tiwanaku were the first to cultivate and consume potatoes as early as 8000 BCE.
Potatoes were domesticated there about 7,000–10,000 years ago from a species in the S. brevicaule complex. Many varieties of the potato are cultivated in the Andes region of South America, where the species is indigenous. The Spanish introduced potatoes to Europe in the second half of the 16th century.
Sep 8, 2018 · It was first domesticated in South America, in the Andean highlands, between Peru and Bolivia, more than 10,000 years ago. Different species of potato ( solanum) exist, but the most common worldwide is the S. tuberosum ssp. Tuberosum.
May 15, 2007 · For a simple, brown tuber, potatoes have a long and storied history. Ancient Incans worshipped them; the Irish blamed them for a famine. Today, they are the fourth largest food crop in the world. Now, scientists have shed new light on just where these tubers came from.
