Mitochondrial Eve and her descendants

Mitochondrial Eve

Mitochondrial Eve is the name for the women who is thought to be the matrilineal ancestor for all humans today. This can be traced back through mitochondrial DNA which is passed down from the mother to her offspring. She is estimated to have lived 150,000- 200,000 years ago in East Africa.

As people spread throughout the world, the characteristics passed down from Mitochondrial Eve adapted to the new enviroments.

A native of Zibabwe

An Egyptian

A woman with Cuban roots

A Brazilian Native

Woman from India

Spanish Woman

The wide range of diversity can be attributed to the large span of area that people migrated too. This is not the only factor, as demonstrated between both pictures from african countries, Egypt and Zimbabwe. The amount of sun the ancestors had to deal with on a daily basis helps to determine skin tone, as the lighter it is the less sun they were exposed to. Mutations also play a role in the differences that stretch across people of the globe. Gene mutations that occur are passed on through genetic material, and those mutations manifest and live on the in offspring.

1,000 years in the future, we could assume that the average person would be medium skinned with brown eyes and darker hair, with a medium height. (and hopefully not obese at the rate we are going). With globalization and year of blending, the skin complexions eye colors and hair colors will start to even out decreasing the differences we have now in our human race.