A dated phylogeny of the papaya family (Caricaceae) reveals the crop's closest relatives and the family's biogeographic history

► We produced a phylogeny including all species of Caricaceae, the papaya's family. ► A long distance dispersal event from Africa to Central America occurred in the Eocene. ► Carica papaya is sister to a small clade of herbaceous plants from Central America. ► The diversification of South American Caricaceae is mostly related to the Andes uplift. ► Our results have important implications for plant breeders and improvement of papaya.