Most recent Common Ancestor

The Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) refers to the latest individual or organism from which all currently living beings are directly descended in a particular group. In genealogy, it’s the youngest common forebear of all people in a population. In evolutionary biology, it represents the last shared ancestor of two different species or groups, shedding light on their evolutionary paths. The MRCA concept is crucial for understanding evolutionary relationships, tracing lineage connections, and studying how populations or species have diverged over time.