ArianTazwer: Created page with "{{Short description|Founder of a family lineage; often legendary}} {{Distinguish|Progenitor cell}} {{Use American English|date = January 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date = January 2019}} {{wiktionary|progenitor|primogenitor}} In genealogy, a '''progenitor''' (rarer: '''primogenitor'''; is the founder (sometimes one that is legendary) of a family, line of descent, gens, clan, tribe, noble house, or ethnic..."

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Created page with "{{Short description|Founder of a family lineage; often legendary}} {{Distinguish|Progenitor cell}} {{Use American English|date = January 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date = January 2019}} {{wiktionary|progenitor|primogenitor}} In genealogy, a '''progenitor''' (rarer: '''primogenitor'''; is the founder (sometimes one that is legendary) of a family, line of descent, gens, clan, tribe, noble house, or ethnic..."

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{{Short description|Founder of a family lineage; often legendary}}
{{Distinguish|Progenitor cell}}
{{Use American English|date = January 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = January 2019}}
{{wiktionary|progenitor|primogenitor}}
In [[genealogy]], a '''progenitor''' (rarer: '''primogenitor'''; is the founder (sometimes one that is [[legendary progenitor|legendary]]) of a [[family]], [[Kinship|line of descent]], [[gens]], [[clan]], [[tribe]], [[Nobility|noble house]], or [[ethnic group]].<ref name="Duden-Stammvater">{{cite web |access-date=2013-10-12 |author=Duden-Redaktion |title=Stammmutter |url=http://www.duden.de/node/792509/revisions/1250668/view |publisher=Bibliographisches Institut, Berlin |date=2013-01-19 |quote=Stammvater, der: Mann als Begründer eines Stammes, einer Sippe }}. Ebenda: [http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Ahnherr ''Ahnherr:''] "Stammvater eines Geschlechts".</ref> Genealogy (commonly known as family history) understands a progenitor to be the earliest recorded [[ancestor]] of a [[consanguineous]] family group of [[Lineal descendant|descendant]]s.

Progenitors are sometimes used to describe the status of a genealogical research project, or in order to compare the availability of genealogical data in different times and places. Often, progenitors are implied to be [[patrilineality|patrilineal]]. If a patrilineal [[dynasty]] is considered, each such dynasty has exactly one progenitor.

[[Nobility|Aristocratic]] and [[Dynasty|dynastic families]] often look back to an ancestor who is seen as the founder and progenitor of their house (i.e. family line). Even the old [[Roman law|Roman legal concept]] of [[agnate]]s ([[Latin]] for "descendants") was based on the idea of the unbroken family line of a progenitor, but only includes male members of the family, whilst the women were referred to as "[[cognatic]]".

It is rarely possible to confirm [[biological parenthood]] in the case of ancient family lines (see [[bastardy]]). In addition, the progenitor is often a distant ancestor, only known as a result of [[oral tradition]]. Where people groups and communities rely solely on a [[patrilinear]] family line, their common ancestor often became the subject of a legend surrounding the origin of the family. By contrast, families and peoples with a [[matrilinear]] history trace themselves back to an original female '''progenitrix'''. Matrilinear [[rules of descent]] are found in about 200 of the 1300 known [[indigenous people]]s and [[ethnic group]]s worldwide, whilst around 600 have patrilineal rules of descent (from father to son).<ref name="Gray 1998">J. Patrick Gray: ''Ethnographic Atlas Codebook.'' In: ''World Cultures.'' Vol. 10, No. 1, 1998, pp. 86-136, here p. 104: Table 43 ''Descent: Major Type'' (one of the few assessments of all 1,267 ethnic groups; [http://eclectic.ss.uci.edu/~drwhite/worldcul/Codebook4EthnoAtlas.pdf pdf file; 2.4 MB; without page nos.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118232413/http://eclectic.ss.uci.edu/~drwhite/worldcul/Codebook4EthnoAtlas.pdf |date=November 18, 2012 }}): "584 Patrilineal […] 52 Duolateral […] 160 Matrilineal […] 45 Mixed". The [http://eclectic.ss.uci.edu/~drwhite/worldcul/atlas.htm ''Ethnographic Atlas by George P. Murdock''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802074051/http://eclectic.ss.uci.edu/~drwhite/worldcul/atlas.htm |date=August 2, 2013}} contains data sets of 1,300 ethnic groups (as at December 2012 at [http://intersci.ss.uci.edu/wiki/index.php/Ethnographic_Atlas ''InterSciWiki''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131114951/http://intersci.ss.uci.edu/wiki/index.php/Ethnographic_Atlas |date=January 31, 2013}}), of which often only samples were assessed.</ref>

In the [[Mythology|mythological beliefs]] of the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] the god of war, [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]], was viewed as the progenitor of the Romans;<ref name="wissen-Mars">{{cite web |access-date=2013-10-12 |author=Lexikoneintrag |title=Mars (Mythologie) |url=http://www.wissen.de/lexikon/mars-mythologie?keyword=Mars |work=[[wissen.de]] |date=2000–2013 |quote=Mars […] as father of ''Romulus'' and ''Remus'', progenitor of the Romans}}.</ref> which is why the [[Mars symbol]] ([[♂]], a shield and spear), is used to refer to the [[masculinity|male sex]]. Besides cities and countries, [[ethnic groups]] may also have a progenitor (often a god) in their mythologies, for example, the [[Hellenistic]] [[Greeks]] look back to [[Hellen]] as their progenitor. In Indian [[Hinduism]] ''Manu'' is the progenitor of all mankind. In the [[Abrahamic religions]], [[Adam]], [[Noah]], [[Abraham]] and others are described as progenitors (see also [[Biblical patriarchy]]).

In [[archaeogenetics]] (archaeological genetics), a human [[Y-chromosomal Adam]] has been named as the [[most recent common ancestor]] from whom all currently living people are descended patrilinearly. This Adam lived in [[Africa]] at a time variously estimated from 60,000 to 338,000 years ago. And [[Mitochondrial Eve]], the most recent common ancestor in the matrilineal line, is estimated to have lived from 100,000 to 230,000 years ago. (There being no suggestion that these, “Eve” and “Adam”, lived at nearby times or places. And there were many other common ancestors in other lines of descent.)

==Examples of patrilineal progenitors==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! subject
! dynasty
! progenitor
! date of progenitor's death
|-
| Queen [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom]] || [[House of Wettin|Wettin]] || [[Dietrich I of Wettin]] || ca. 976
|-
| King [[Philippe of Belgium|Philippe of the Belgians]] || [[House of Wettin|Wettin]] || [[Dietrich I of Wettin]] || ca. 976
|-
| King [[Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca|Hussein bin Ali]] || [[Hashemite]] || [[Ali]] || 661
|-
| Emperor [[Naruhito of Japan]] || [[Imperial House of Japan]] || [[Emperor Keitai|Keitai]] || 10 March 531
|-
| [[Charlemagne]] || [[Carolingian dynasty|Carolingian]] || Bishop [[Arnulf of Metz]] || 640
|-
| Queen [[Victoria of the United Kingdom]] || [[House of Este|Este]] || [[Otbert I, Count Palatine of Italy]] || 975
|-
| Queen [[Margrethe II of Denmark]] || [[House of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]] || [[Elimar I, Count of Oldenburg]] ||1112
|-
| King [[Harald V of Norway]] || [[House of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]] || [[Elimar I, Count of Oldenburg]] ||1112
|-
| King [[Charles III of the United Kingdom]] || [[House of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]] || [[Elimar I, Count of Oldenburg]] ||1112
|-
| King [[Felipe VI of Spain]] || [[Robertians]]/[[Capetian dynasty|Capetians]] || [[Robert of Hesbaye]] || ca. 807
|-
| Grand Duke [[Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Henri of Luxembourg]] || [[Robertians]]/[[Capetian dynasty|Capetians]] || [[Robert of Hesbaye]] || ca. 807
|-
| [[George William, Duke of Liegnitz|George William, Duke of Liegnitz and Brieg]] || [[Piast dynasty]] || [[Piast the Wheelwright]] || 861
|-
| King [[Gediminas]] of [[Lithuania]]|| [[House of Gediminas|Gediminas]] || [[Polemon II of Pontus]] || 74
|}

== See also ==
*[[Protoplast (religion)|Protoplast]], progenitors of mankind in a creation story
*[[Ancestor]]
*[[Ahnentafel]]
*[[Legendary progenitor]]
*[[Progenitor cell]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Family}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kinship and descent]]
[[Category:Genealogy]]
[[Category:Ancestors]]

Progenitor - Revision history