[Europan Ocean (OP)]

If we want to find the original tribe from which we all descend, how far back in time need we look? And where did they live?

[Bored chemist]

Does this help?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans

[evan_au]

There is greatest genetic diversity of humans in Africa - that is a powerful hint that this is the origin of all humans.
- But some humans travel widely (and tend to mate wherever they travel), so populations are surprisingly well mixed today

There is a concept called "The Most Recent Common Ancestor" (TMRCA), which is a person who all people in a population have as an ancestor.
- It is suggested that for Europeans, this may be as recently as Charlemagne (800 AD)
- For all humans, some estimates place it as recently as 300 BC. The location of this person is speculative - but probably not in Africa.
 
There is another concept called a "genetic isopoint", which is a time when all people in a population have the same set of ancestors; any person living then is either:
      1. The ancestor of all living people or
      2. Has no living descendants.
- This time is is older than TMRCA
- For Europeans, this is estimated at 5,000 to 15,000 years ago.
- For all humans, it is thought to be over 100,000 years ago, in Africa

See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_recent_common_ancestor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identical_ancestors_point

[alancalverd]

Adam, 4004 BC, Israel. It's as useful as any other guess, and the cowardly idiot the BBC calls Leader of the Free World probably believes it, so you better accept it, or the truly righteous will be gunnin' for ya come November.

[Bored chemist]

It's as useful as any other guess

But not nearly as useful as actual information- as opposed to guessing.
You do know this is a science site, don't you?

Anyway, If I read this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominini
 correctly, our tribe, Hominini, split from the gorillas about 6.4 million years ago. (in Africa- obviously).

[alancalverd]

So?


 note to admin - where's the tongue-in-cheek emoticon?

[Bored chemist]

 note to admin - where's the tongue-in-cheek emoticon?

There isn't one.
:-)

[evan_au]

note to admin - where's the tongue-in-cheek emoticon?

If emoticons fail you, try your emoticon thesaurus....

This is listed as a synonym: or "; )"