Weird that they’re only probably sure they know how reproduction works.

    • Wogi@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      ·
      4 months ago

      At some point if you go back far enough, we’re all the direct descendants of the first two fish who decided to fuck.

      • JollyG@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        19
        ·
        4 months ago

        It’s the most recent common female ancestor of all humanity, as determined by mitochondrial DNA.

        Or put another way. If everyone traced their family lines back through their mothers, mitochondrial eve would be the first point where all those lines converged on a single woman

        • gid@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          10
          ·
          4 months ago

          It helps me to remember that mitochondrial Eve isn’t a fixed individual, as well.

          • lennivelkant@discuss.tchncs.de
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            4 months ago

            Imagine being the last (female, strictly matrilineal) descendant of one of her daughters: “If I die without a daughter, the line of Alice will end and that bitch Caitlin will become the new Eve!”

            Hell, imagine fighting a secret war to extinguish the other line - now there’s a “secret society conspiracy” plot if I’ve ever seen one.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          edit-2
          4 months ago

          There’s also a Y-chromosomal Adam, but they lived many thousands of years apart. That seems very counterintuitive, but when it is explained to you by someone who knows what they’re talking about (i.e. not me), it does make sense.

          • gid@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            7
            ·
            4 months ago

            Yeah when it’s explained to me I realise “of course, that makes so much sense”.

            And then I forget again, so I’m all Keanu-Reeves-whoa-face next time I think about it.

      • gid@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        ·
        4 months ago

        Mitochondrial Eve is just the most recent common female ancestor. So her mom would also be a common female ancestor, but not the most recent one.