This understanding also refutes the legend of “Mitochondrial Eve,” the woman from whom all humans supposedly descend on their mother’s side. Research on the human leukocyte antigen genes, which are involved in the human immune response, shows that such a common ancestor could not have existed; this group of genes derives from those of all three known ancient humans.
这些发现同时也驳斥了“线粒体夏娃”（Mitochondrial Eve）——所有人类遗传自其母亲一方的一个始祖女性——的传说。对人类白细胞抗原基因的研究——作为人类免疫反应的一部分——显示这一个共同祖先不可能存在；这个基因组源自于已知的三种古人。