Mitochondrial Eve

       Mitochondrial eve refers the study for the most common mother between women today. This is because mitochondrial DNA is only inherited from the mother without and genetic recombination or change. Because there is no change in mitochondrial DNA then there must be one person from which all mitochondrial DNA comes. The mitochondrial eve is estimated to have lived some 200,000 years ago somewhere in Africa. This follows the hypothesis that humans spread Africa conquering neanderthals.

      

       This is  similar to the study of the Y chromosomal adam and the human most recent common ancestor. In the Y chromosomal adam study the research was done to estimate how closely related every man is because of their most common male ancestor. This is possible because every man inherits a Y chromosome from their father thus their has to be a common ancestor. The most recent common ancestor studies have indicated that within 5,000 years everyone shares a common ancestor