In human genetics, Y-chromosomal Adam is the male counterpart to mitochondrial Eve: a real or hypothetical single male human ancestor from whom all male Y chromosomes are descended. Unlike other genes, those of the Y chromosome are passed exclusively from father to (only) sons, as mitochondrial DNA seems to be passed to (all) children by their mothers.

If such a person existed, he probably lived between 60,000 and 90,000 years ago, judging from molecular clock and genetic marker studies. While their descendants certainly became close intimates, Y-chromosomal Adam and mitochondrial Eve are separated by thousands of generations. They are named after "Adam" and "Eve" in Genesis, but by analogy and not literally.

Based on DNA analysis as of 2002, both Y-chromosomal Adam and mitochondrial Eve are believed to have lived in Africa; this is part of the Out-of-Africa theory of human evolution.

See also

• Mitochondrial Eve
• Genetic drift
• Molecular evolution
• Genetic genealogy
• Adam's Curse (book by Bryan Sykes)
• Y-chromosomal Aaron

References

• "Modern Men Trace Ancestry to African Migrants", A Gibbons, Volume 292, Number 5519, Issue of 11 May 2001, pp. 1051-1052.
• "African Origin of Modern Humans in East Asia: A Tale of 12,000 Y Chromosomes http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/292/5519/1151 ", Yuehai Ke et al, Science 2001 292: 1151-1153

External links

• The truth about Adam and Eve http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/genes/dna_detectives/adam_and_eve/index.shtml (from the BBC)
• Documentary Redraws Humans' Family Tree http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/12/1212_021213_journeyofman.html (from National Geographic)
• Y-Chromosome Biallelic Haplogroups http://www.roperld.com/YBiallelicHaplogroups.htm