More than 60 million years ago, a meteorite slammed into Earth, wiping out the dinosaurs, and, on a less morbid note, giving tomatoes their distinct red color.
According new research published in Nature, the crash and resulting solar eclipse created extremely stressful conditions.
As a method of survival, a distant relative of the crop grew three times in size, while producing the fleshy red fruit we enjoy in salads and mozzarella sandwiches today.
So it all worked out! Well, except for the dinosaurs.