Potatoes originated in the region of modern-day southern Peru and extreme northwestern Bolivia in the Andes mountains of South America. They were first domesticated between 8,000 and 5,000 BC by ancient peoples in this area. Scientific evidence shows that the cultivated potato has a single origin in this region, where it was grown and used as a staple food for thousands of years before being brought to Europe in the mid-1500s by Spanish conquistadors.
Recent genetic research also reveals that the modern potato evolved from a hybridization event millions of years ago between a wild tomato ancestor and a potato-like wild plant called Etuberosum, which enabled the development of the potato's tubers that humans later cultivated.
Thus, potatoes are native to the Andes and were domesticated by ancient South American civilizations long before spreading globally.
