The sweet potato is one of the most widely consumed crops worldwide, yet researchers have yet to understand how this crop spread to geographically isolated regions such as Polynesia. In order to answer this question researchers have published a new study in Current Biology which elucidates the phylogenetic history of the sweet potato, as well as presents a mechanism for the global spread of this tasty crop. To do this, the authors combined genome skimming and target DNA capture to sequence whole chloroplasts and 605 single-copy nuclear regions from 199 specimens of sweet potato and its crop relatives. Using this data, the authors conclude that the sweet potato is monophyletic by autopolyploidy with
Ipomoea trifida (cotton morning glory) as its closest living relative.
Ipomoea trifida had a duel role in the origin of the sweet potato: first as its progenitor, and second as a plant species that cross-pollinated with. Finally, the authors note that cases of long-term dispersal in
Ipomoea accounts for the habituation of sweet potatoes in places such as Polynesia and negates the mechanism of human transport.
Link to
Current Biology article can be found
here
Leanne Chambers
Third Current Biology Journal Update
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