Submitted by nodeciapalabras t3_ylu0ir in askscience
Lambsio t1_iv3kkmg wrote
Reply to comment by za419 in Why don't we have Neandertal mitochondrial DNA? by nodeciapalabras
What about mitochondrial Eve's mother?
za419 t1_iv3qa0v wrote
There's no word for her.
But Mitochondrial Eve is the most recent such woman - If her mom had multiple daughters it's entirely possible she used to be Mitochondrial Eve, but no longer is because one of her daughter's female lines was broken.
ab2377 t1_iv4djzk wrote
quoting @za419: Actually, who she is changes all the time - If a woman who's carrying the last copy of a mitochondrial branch (imagine Eve has two daughters, and one of their female lines has only one surviving woman) dies daughterless (either doesn't have surviving children or only has sons), then the title of Mitochondrial Eve might move down a generation (if Eve had two daughters and one line dies out, then the daughter who's female lines survive is the new Mitochondrial Eve).
MaineSnowangel t1_iv3uisg wrote
I believe mitochondrial Eve’s mother would be a singular mitochondria outside of a human cell.
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