Scientists from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands, say the meteorite 10 kilometers in diameter that hit the earth causing the extinction of the dinosaurs and 70% of living species on the planet , was also responsible for the red color of tomatoes today.
This hypothesis was born after the May 30 publication of the tomato genome in the journal Nature. According to that study the genetic sequence of the plant was smaller than at present, but it tripled in size between 60 and 70 million years, coinciding with the collision of celestial object.
If so, the color of tomato is the result of extremely stressful conditions resulting from the crash, due to reduced sunlight and difficult chances of survival for the plants, said ABC.es.
When weather conditions improved the new genetic material obtained from the tomato plant to survive was used to improve the quality of its fruits. Just bought the red color characteristic and differed from the Pope, a member of the same family.
With the genetic map of tomato published, scientists can track and deepen in the 35 000 genes identified, even small evolutionary variations that gave rise the characteristics of the existing plant.
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