Scientists traced the potato’s origins to the tomato, uncovering a 9-million-year link between two staple foods.

Scientists traced the lineage of potatoes to a wild genetic fusion about 9 million years ago between a tomato ancestor and a tuberless plant.

The evolutionary event led to the formation of the tuber, which is the swollen and edible underground root of certain plants, such as potatoes and yams. To reach these conclusions, Chinese researchers ...