Wild potato could change the view on the origin of agriculture

A recent study suggests that the history of agriculture in the southwestern United States may be older and more complex than previously imagined. Researchers analyzed microscopic remains preserved in stone tools and found evidence that a wild potato native to the region, known as the Four Corners potato, was already being collected, processed, and transported by indigenous peoples more than 10,000 years ago. The result points to early stages of plant domestication outside the traditionally recognized agricultural centers. The research analyzed hundreds of grinding tools used in food preparation at archaeological sites located within and outside the natural range of the species Solanum jamesii. Starch granules from the tuber were identified at nine sites, with four showing continuous use of the plant over millennia. The data reinforce previous genetic studies that indicated the intentional transport of the potato beyond its original habitat, a step considered fundamental in the ...