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Ancient potato that has survived in the wilds of southern Utah for nearly 11,000 years makes its dinner debut

Posted at 6:47 AM, Oct 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-07 08:47:08-04

The Four Corners potato may be small — no bigger than a copper penny — but this starchy, edible tuber is mighty, having survived in the wild landscapes of southern Utah for nearly 11,000 years, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Packed with proteins and vitamins, it was a powerful source of nourishment for the American Indians living in the state’s Escalante and Bears Ears regions, say University of Utah researchers.

Centuries later, Mormon pioneers consumed the wild potato, and — even later — some of their descendants survived on it during the Great Depression.

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