The Arachis genus, which is native to South America, particularly the regions east of the Andes such as Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil, encompasses various wild species of peanuts. The cultivated peanuts we know today (Arachis hypogaea) are believed to have originated from a crossbreeding event between two of these wild species, namely A. duranensis and A. ipaensis. Initially, this hybridization resulted in sterile plants, but their fertility was restored through natural chromosome doubling, leading to the development of what is known as an amphidiploid or allotetraploid plant. A wild peanut variant called A. monticola, found in specific areas of northwestern Argentina or southeastern Bolivia, may have emerged from this crossbreeding process. Over time, through selective breeding, A. hypogaea was domesticated and became the cultivated peanut we rely on today.