Y-Chromosomal Adam

[Pythagorean]

I didn't realize there was a counterpart to Mitochondrial Eve

His other male contemporaries also have descendants alive today, but not, by definition, through solely patrilineal descent.

This is in contrast to M Eve, whom I believe is actually a common ancestor to all of us.

The following article just presents new research saying YC Adam is older than previous research had found, but for me, it was the existence of a YC Adam that was novel.

http://www.sci-news.com/genetics/science-y-chromosomal-adam-01709.html

 

[jedishrfu]

That makes sense though since the Y is transmitted from father to son only just like mitochondrial DNA is transmitted from mother to child always.

I wonder though if there's any trackable DNA from father to daughter though?

 

[mfb]

Half of the DNA, but nothing you could track over many generations in a specific pattern (m->f->m->f?) because all those parts get mixed together from both parents.

 

[Pythagorean]

Hrrrm.. then isn't possible there's another Y-chromosomal Adam and we just haven't found his lineage yet?

 

[mfb]

Over time, the probability that more than one line survives goes to zero (unless the population grows fast and exponentially, and it never did that over a long time). Another line would just mean we found the wrong "Adam" and have to go back more. If necessary, you could go back all the way to the first appearance of the male/female chromosome system - but Adam lived much later than that.

 

[jedishrfu]

Half of the DNA, but nothing you could track over many generations in a specific pattern (m->f->m->f?) because all those parts get mixed together from both parents.

I was thinking whether there's some structure like mitochondria that comes from the sperm cell that has only a fathers contribution. That's what I meant by trackable DNA.