Tomato is tomato because of two whole genome triplications

Tomato Genome Update - 2

Analysis of the recently sequence tomato genome in comparison to potato and grape genome reveal that massive genome duplication events shaped the evolution of these plants. Ancestors of tomato genome underwent whole genome triplication twice, one very early in a common eudicot ancestor shared with rosid and the second more recent triplication in the ancestor of tomato and potato followed by widespread gene loss. This recent  triplication has occurred around  71 million years ago well before divergence of tomato and potato which took place approximately
7.3 million years ago. On the basis of alignments to single grape genome segments, the tomato genome can be partitioned into three non-overlapping ‘subgenomes’.  These triplications set the stage for the neofunctionalization of genes controlling fruit characteristics, such as colour and fleshiness.

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