universal common ancestor

The universal common ancestor is the hypothetical most recent organism from which all life today descended. It represents a single origin point for all living beings, meaning humans, plants, animals, fungi, and microbes are all related through a shared ancestral life form. Over billions of years, this ancestor's descendants diverged and evolved into the diverse organisms we see now. This idea helps scientists understand the interconnectedness of all life on Earth and the evolutionary processes that have shaped the diversity of life over time.