Mitochondrial Eve (mt-mrca) is the name given by researchers to the woman who is defined as the matrilineal most recent common ancestor (MRCA) for all currently living humans. Passed down from mother to offspring, her mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is now found in all living humans: all mtDNA in every living person is derived from hers. Mitochondrial Eve is the female counterpart of Y-chromosomal Adam, the patrilineal most recent common ancestor, although they lived at different times.
Mitochondrial Eve is believed to have lived about 170,000 years ago, or roughly 8,000 generations ago. This places her shortly after the speciation of Homo sapiens sapiens and the emergence of the first anatomically modern humans. Mitochondrial Eve would have been roughly contemporary with humans whose fossils have been found in Ethiopia near the Omo river and at Hertho....
All living humans can trace their ancestry back to the MRCA via at least one of their parents, but Mitochondrial Eve is defined via the maternal line. Therefore, she necessarily lived at least as long, though likely much longer, ago than the MRCA of all humanity.
Do we simply boil down to a genetic trait of DNA? Is that all the we are designed for, to be generation after generation of women?
Or is there something more in our design? Why has God made us? For what purpose have God designed us the way we are?
No comments:
Post a Comment