Mitochondrial Eve (English: Mitochondrial Eve), or mt-Eve, mt-MRCA (full name: matriline almostrecentcommander), is regarded as the maternal ancestor of human beings in the theory of human evolution, and the mitochondria in human bodies are inherited from her today. This theory was first put forward by Dr. Mark Si Tong King. History can be traced back to 200 thousand years ago. Previously, scientists had investigated the mitochondrial DNA of women from different regions and nationalities in the world and determined that the mitochondria of modern people came from a woman about10-150,000 years ago. This matriarchal ancestor is called "Mitochondrial Eve".

1987, the authoritative magazine Nature published a paper saying that "all mitochondrial DNA comes from a woman", who lived in Africa about 200,000 years ago. The authors of this thesis are Rebecca L. Kahn and Mark Si Tong King of the University of California, Berkeley, and their doctoral supervisor, Allen Wilson. It has aroused people's strong interest and fierce controversy in all aspects, and this situation has continued to this day. The author called the sample they analyzed "mitochondrial DNA" and the media nicknamed it "mitochondrial Eve", which is more memorable, but it is also easy to misunderstand.

This Eve was not the only woman in that era. She is different from Eve in Genesis. According to the written records of the Bible, the history of mankind should be thousands of years, not 200,000 years. In addition, many evolutionists believe that human beings evolved in different parts of the world at the same time, but they do not agree with the theory of "going out of Africa". According to the latter theory, modern people in anatomical sense originated in Africa and then migrated to all parts of the world.

Kahn and her colleagues analyzed mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) and non-nuclear DNA(nDNA). NDNA is responsible for transmitting the color of our eyes, ethnic characteristics and susceptibility to certain diseases to future generations: mtDNA can only encode the synthesis of protein and other functions of mitochondria. NDNA exists in all cells of the body, mixing the DNA of mother and father (recombination); However, mtDNA almost only comes from the maternal line, and only a small part of mtDNA comes from sperm, if any. Individuals with similar genetic relationships have almost the same mtDNA, and only accidental mutations have occurred for thousands of years. It is believed that the fewer mutations, the shorter the time distance between us and our ancestors.