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The mathematical study of genealogy indicates that everyone in the world is descended from Nefertiti and Confucius, and everyone of European ancestry is descended from Muhammad and Charlemagne

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Notice it says "mathematical." It's a bit complicated, and I'm not sure I understand the argument altogether. But all mathematical models have to have assumptions, and here's a key one...

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Chang's model incorporates one crucial assumption: random mating in the part of the world under consideration. For example, every person in Europe would have to have an equal chance of marrying every other European of the opposite sex. As Chang acknowledges in his paper, random mating clearly does not occur in reality; an Englishman is much likelier to marry a woman from England than a woman from Italy, and a princess is much likelier to marry a prince than a pauper. These departures from randomness must push back somewhat the date of Europeans' most recent common ancestor.

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Anyway I recommend reading the whole thing, which I'm going to re-do.

Edited to add:

... or, just go with oldgoat's succinct summary. Too tired to think...

[ 26 April 2003: Message edited by: 'lance ]