Potatoes Gave Indigenous Andeans a Digestive Superpower

Topic: Biology

Researchers found that people in Peru today have more copies of a gene that helps digest starch. This is because their ancestors who ate potatoes had an advantage over those who didn't. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

For thousands of years, potatoes have been a staple food for people living in the Andes mountains. They were first domesticated by Indigenous Andean communities long before they spread to other parts of the world.

A new study found that eating potatoes may have helped their ancestors evolve to digest starch more efficiently. The researchers looked at DNA samples from Peruvian Andeans and compared them with those from other populations around the world. They focused on a gene called AMY1, which helps break down starch in food.

The study showed that Indigenous people in Peru today carry an average of 10 copies of the AMY1 gene. This is more than any other population studied, including the Maya, who share a similar evolutionary history but don't have a tradition of potato farming. The researchers estimated that having more copies of this gene gave their ancestors a survival or reproductive advantage over those with fewer copies.

This study highlights how diet can influence human evolution and adaptation to different environments.

Why It Matters

Understanding how our diets shape our bodies can help us make better food choices and appreciate the impact of agriculture on human history. This research also shows how studying genetics and evolution can provide insights into the lives of our ancestors.

Key Facts

• Potatoes were first domesticated by Indigenous Andean communities around 6,000 to 10,000 years ago.
• The AMY1 gene helps break down starch in food, and people with more copies of this gene can digest starch more efficiently.
• Indigenous people in Peru today carry an average of 10 copies of the AMY1 gene, which is more than any other population studied.
• Having more copies of the AMY1 gene gave their ancestors a survival or reproductive advantage over those with fewer copies.
• The study was published in the journal Nature Communications and provides evidence that diet can influence human evolution.

Key Terms

AMY1

A gene that helps break down starch in food, allowing people to digest it more efficiently.

Implications

Understanding how our diets shape our bodies can help us make better food choices and appreciate the impact of agriculture on human history. This research also shows how studying genetics and evolution can provide insights into the lives of our ancestors.