the

Y-chromosomal most recent common ancestor (Y-MRCA, informally known as Y-chromosomal Adam ) is the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) from whom all currently living men are descended patrilineally . The term Y-MRCA reflects the fact that the Y chromosomes of all currently living human males are directly derived from the Y chromosome of this remote ancestor. The analogous concept of the matrilineal most recent common ancestor is known as " Mitochondrial Eve " (mt-MRCA, named for the matrilineal transmission of mtDNA ), the most recent woman from whom all living humans are descended matrilineally . As with "Mitochondrial Eve", the title of "Y-chromosomal Adam" is not permanently fixed to a single individual, but can advance over the course of human history as paternal lineages become extinct.