Top ancestor

Progenitor or ancestor denotes the ( mythical ) founder of a family, lineage, clan or race, tribe or nation. The family history (genealogy ) is understood as the progenitor of the earliest historically documented ancestors of the family stems from a group of descendants in direct blood relationship; he is at the root of a tree (or at the top in a master list).

In particular, the nobility and ruling families refer to an original ancestor as the founder and ancestor of their gender. The old Roman law concept of " agnates " ( Latin for " Hinzu-/Nachgeborene " ) refers to an unbroken lineage from a progenitor, but contains only male members of the line, while women are classified as kognatisch ( " mitgeboren ").

The biological paternity can, however, seldom clearly demonstrated (see cuckoo children), also belongs to the ancestor of most of only oral tradition, long-ago ancestors generation. Especially in groups and societies that relate to a purely patrilineal descent in the fathers line, the common ancestor was often constructed by a subsequent announcement origin as the origin legend (see the biblical "patriarchal "). In contrast, families and descent groups related with maternal lines ( about mothers of daughters ) to a common "stem mother ". Worldwide, there are nut-side rules descent at about 200 of the 1,300 registered indigenous peoples and ethnic groups, while around 600 patrilineal order ( about fathers to sons ).

In the mythological beliefs of the Roman god of war, Mars was regarded as the progenitor of the Roman people, from him the Mars symbol ♂ is derived for the masculinity (a shield with spear ). In addition to cities and countries also reflect peoples in their mythologies to a (often divine ) progenitor, for example, the Hellenistic Greeks Hellen as their ancestor. In the Indian Hinduism Manu is considered the progenitor of all people. In the Abrahamic religions are in different contexts Adam, Noah, Abraham and others as the "father " means (see also the biblical patriarchal history ).

In the Archäogenetik ( archaeological genetics ) a human " Adam of the Y chromosome " was based on the paternal inheritance of the male Y- chromosome is calculated which as primeval earliest ancestor with all living today men (not necessarily women) biologically by the uninterrupted lineage of his offspring is related. This Adam lived in Africa ( ± 15,000 ) 75,000 years ago estimated.