Despite being a staple food for millions of people worldwide, the genetic secrets of the sweet potato have long remained a mystery to scientists. What science reveals about them is surprising, revealing a previously unknown evolutionary history involving a “hybrid ancestry” behind the beloved vegetables. The Hybrid Ancestry of Sweet PotatoesSweet potatoes carry six sets of chromosomes, compared to the two sets that humans inherit. Equally surprising, another portion of recognized variants bore close resemblance to a wild species called Ipomoea batatas 4x,which grows in Central America. The possibilities for future research don’t end with sweet potatoes, however.