In evolution, who did our common ancestor have sex with?

Question

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1641443.htm

Answer 1

The common ancestor that we talk about is a bit of a misnomer.

They are actually common ancestors... no species can ever be an individual, they are always populations.

So those common ancestors would have mated with other members of the same population (of the opposite sex, of course!)

Answer 2

Another common ancestor. Evolution says that favorable small changes build up over time via natural selection to create new species. As an example of small changes, notice that people are generally taller today than people a hundred or two hundred years ago.

Answer 3

An ape was born with an advantageous mutation, such as larger brain, better dexterity, etc. It mated with a regular ape and produced offpsring who also carried the advantageous mutation (it was hereditary). These offpsring, having an advantage over 'normal' apes, reproduced more and lived longer as a result. Thus, after many generations, the "new' type of ape out-competed the old type and the entire population evantually consisted of the new type. (Natural Selection). After MANY years, and many mutations of this sort, the ape population changed bit by bit to become modern homo sapiens. Other factors would have played a large role too, like restricted gene flow, population bottlenecks, physical separation between populations, etc.

Answer 4

apes and apes and more apes....apparently our ancestor was ape for sex! ...err... well, we'll overlook the pun and answer as such: early humans and apes had intercourse over a looong period of time, It seems in the article that the common ancestor split, but the two species interbred for a while, which is probably where the neanderthals came from, and then eventually split again into humans and apes.

Answer 5

Other members of the same species, of opposite sex.

Answer 6

Whatever was available at the time.

Answer 7

Your mother!

Answer 8

the aliens. we were one of their mistakes.