adam lived?

Question

DNA

Answer 1

You must be referring to "Y-chromosome Adam".

This is the estimated most recent common ancestor (MRCA) on the patrilineal line. (I.e. son-to-father-to-grandfather- etc.). Since the Y-chromosome for any male always comes directly from the father (never the mother), we males can trace our Y-chromosome back through the males of our lineage.

(Essentially, if you are a male, all of your male relatives that have the same last name as you do, have exactly the same Y-chromosome as you do ... this because last names are inherited father-to-son in the same way as the Y-chromosome).

So the same Y-chromosome gets passed intact (no recombination with any mother's genes) from father-to-son through the ages. The only differences are the small mutations and transcription errors (basically typos) that happen at a known rate, and thus accumulate into the Y-chromosome.

So by comparing the Y-chromosomes of males in different populations in the earth, we can basically measure how far back our most recent patrilineal ancestor lived. Geneticists call that guy "Y-chromosome Adam."

Scientists have calculated the "Y-chromosome Adam" lived about 50,000-70,000 years ago.

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Incidentally, we can also do the same for females using the DNA in the mitochondria (organelles outside the nucleus of our cells). Since the mitochondria are inherited directly from the mother, we can trace matrilineal (daughter-to-mother) ancestry in the same way.

"Mitochondrial Eve" is calculated to have lived about 150,000-200,000 years ago.

So yes, Y-chromosome Adam did not know Mitochondrial Eve (as they were separated by at least 80,000 years). In fact, he may have been her descendant.

Answer 2

From what I have read, it appears that all human Y chromosomes are descended from a single common ancestor that lived roughly 70,000 years ago. This is in contradistinction to the Bible, which places Adam's birthday at October 29th, 4,004 BC. A mitochondrial Eve has also been determined which disagrees with both of these, placing Eve at around 200,000 years ago. I don't know which of these is the more accurate. Any guesses?

Answer 3

Adam who? Does Eve know about this?

Answer 4

no, im sry, adam died.