Once upon an actual time—200,000 years ago, give or take—there lived a woman who eventually gave birth to some children, and her children survived long enough to give birth to children of their own.
This is a fascinating idea, and not only because there's empirical evidence. You can actually make a purely mathematical analysis and see that there has to be a mitochondrial eve in any population.
More fascinating even is the idea that, as we all grow older and some of us die, eventually, one of her direct daughters will become the mitochondrial eve, and so on throughout eternity.
There are a very small number of men who have different Y type which means it is Theoretically possible for those individuals to be different. Is more likely that the common Ys are in the ancestry, but we don't know for absolutely positively sure.
There’s a book called The Seven Daughters of Eve, I think, that talks about this. I’ve not read it mostly because it’s from over 20 years ago and the science is somewhat dated(mitochondrial DNA being somewhat phased out by autosomal DNA which I think gives a lot more info). But I’ll bet it’s still an interesting read. I’ll also give a shout out to Razib Khan’s Substack which is focused on how genetics combined with historical/archaeological data gives us unique insights into the human story
Yes. Really worth diving into, and I think he's running a year end deal on paid subs, which I think is worth the money for anyone intersted in the confluence of ancinent DNA and archaeology
Well, there's no "Mitochondrial Adam" because mitochondrial DNA is exclusively passed from mother to child, but there is nevertheless an "Adam" of sorts in biology called "Y Chromosome Adam." Stirling and I are talking about this a little bit in the comments here, too!
"Today, we are connected more by our technology than by our genetic markers, but we are still very much all related. " technology was meant to be a tool to make our work as human beings easier but it seems to be corrupting our neurological systems. Through it has Brought the world to the village level, it makes people too distant from themselves. My grandmother knew relatives far away and the villagers by family name because social connection, at a time when there was no phones, was the key to building each other. She wanted to know family tree. Nowadays, people, relatives meet relatives that they don't know during Christmas or worse funeral. Yet, DNA markers remembers your great great grandparents by even a nose, ears, or eyes. It is powerful yet ignored.
Fine! I'll hold off on the "yo mama" jokes then!
*our* mama
*marxism intensifies*
Precisely.
This is a fascinating idea, and not only because there's empirical evidence. You can actually make a purely mathematical analysis and see that there has to be a mitochondrial eve in any population.
More fascinating even is the idea that, as we all grow older and some of us die, eventually, one of her direct daughters will become the mitochondrial eve, and so on throughout eternity.
Indeed, lots of potential Eves out there! I love thinking about this sort of thing.
And there is another Adam which almost all males descend from. He to was in Africa.
Almost all?
There are a very small number of men who have different Y type which means it is Theoretically possible for those individuals to be different. Is more likely that the common Ys are in the ancestry, but we don't know for absolutely positively sure.
Thanks for clarifying! That's what I found as well.
There’s a book called The Seven Daughters of Eve, I think, that talks about this. I’ve not read it mostly because it’s from over 20 years ago and the science is somewhat dated(mitochondrial DNA being somewhat phased out by autosomal DNA which I think gives a lot more info). But I’ll bet it’s still an interesting read. I’ll also give a shout out to Razib Khan’s Substack which is focused on how genetics combined with historical/archaeological data gives us unique insights into the human story
This one, right?
https://www.razibkhan.com/
Yes. Really worth diving into, and I think he's running a year end deal on paid subs, which I think is worth the money for anyone intersted in the confluence of ancinent DNA and archaeology
So if Eve is the mother of everyone, Adam must be the father, right?
Well, there's no "Mitochondrial Adam" because mitochondrial DNA is exclusively passed from mother to child, but there is nevertheless an "Adam" of sorts in biology called "Y Chromosome Adam." Stirling and I are talking about this a little bit in the comments here, too!
"Today, we are connected more by our technology than by our genetic markers, but we are still very much all related. " technology was meant to be a tool to make our work as human beings easier but it seems to be corrupting our neurological systems. Through it has Brought the world to the village level, it makes people too distant from themselves. My grandmother knew relatives far away and the villagers by family name because social connection, at a time when there was no phones, was the key to building each other. She wanted to know family tree. Nowadays, people, relatives meet relatives that they don't know during Christmas or worse funeral. Yet, DNA markers remembers your great great grandparents by even a nose, ears, or eyes. It is powerful yet ignored.
Well said, Edwin. Have you seen this one yet? I had a good conversation about this with Edem Gold a while back: https://goatfury.substack.com/p/america-nigeria-and-the-paradox-of
Let me read it. Thanks