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Published online 29 September 2004 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news040927-10
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Human populations are tightly interwoven
Family tree shows our common ancestor lived just 3,500 years ago.
The most recent common ancestor of all humanity lived just a few thousand years ago, according to a computer model of our family tree. Researchers have calculated that the mystery person, from whom everyone alive today is directly descended, probably lived around 1,500 BC in eastern Asia.
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