If we compare the mtDNA of two individuals, we can figure out when their most recent matrilineal common ancestor lived—using the molecular clock. The mtDNA of all living modern human beings can be traced back to a single female ancestor, a prehistoric mother. She lived around 160,000 years ago, and in the genetics literature she’s referred to as “mitochondrial Eve.” She has a male counterpart, “Y-chromosomal Adam,” to whom the Y chromosomes passed from father to son can be traced. This Adam lived almost 200,000 years before mitochondrial Eve, however, so we can say with certainty that they weren’t a couple.
19 views
Yorum yapabilmeniz için giriş yapmanız gerekmektedir.