Common Ancestor

A common ancestor is an individual who is the shared predecessor of two or more different species or populations. Think of it as the original "forefather" from which these groups have descended over generations. For example, humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago, meaning our lines of descent branch out from that single point. Identifying common ancestors helps scientists understand how species are related and how evolution has shaped the diversity of life we see today.