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We're all mutants, say scientists.
How many of your ancestors are you related to?
It is believed that the human genome is roughly 3 billion base pairs long. Contained within these base pairs are approximately 25,000 distinct genes.
After 15 generations, not taking into account your individual or inherited mutations, you would have 32,768 ancestors. You would have inherited zero genes from 7,768 of them.
After 32 generations, again not taking the mutation rate into account, you would have 4,294,967,296 ancestors. Mathematically, more than a billion of them could not have contributed so much as a single base pair to your genetic makeup.
As a corollary to this, it should be noted that there have been approximately 22 generations in America since 1492. This gives us an average of 1 generation every 23.5 years. Using that figure, it has been roughly 50 generations since the death of Charlemagne. You have one quadrillion ancestors from a generation that far back. So even if, like me, you are related to him there is roughly one chance in 333,333 that you inherited so much as a single base pair from him. That's less than half the chance of winning the lottery.
The idea that you may have inherited a complex trait from him? (not share, inherited) Pretty laughable. Especially after taking the mutation rate into account.
Food for thought.
How many of your ancestors are you related to?
It is believed that the human genome is roughly 3 billion base pairs long. Contained within these base pairs are approximately 25,000 distinct genes.
After 15 generations, not taking into account your individual or inherited mutations, you would have 32,768 ancestors. You would have inherited zero genes from 7,768 of them.
After 32 generations, again not taking the mutation rate into account, you would have 4,294,967,296 ancestors. Mathematically, more than a billion of them could not have contributed so much as a single base pair to your genetic makeup.
As a corollary to this, it should be noted that there have been approximately 22 generations in America since 1492. This gives us an average of 1 generation every 23.5 years. Using that figure, it has been roughly 50 generations since the death of Charlemagne. You have one quadrillion ancestors from a generation that far back. So even if, like me, you are related to him there is roughly one chance in 333,333 that you inherited so much as a single base pair from him. That's less than half the chance of winning the lottery.
The idea that you may have inherited a complex trait from him? (not share, inherited) Pretty laughable. Especially after taking the mutation rate into account.
Food for thought.
