The How Many Ancestors calculator computes the total number of ancestors a person or sexual reproducing animal has base on the number of generations going back. It also estimates the approximate time span associated with those ancestors.
INSTRUCTIONS: Enter the following:
- (n) Number of Generations Back
- (gT) Time between Generations
Number of Ancestors (aN): The calculator returns the number of ancestors and the approximate time span (tS) in years. However, this can be automatically converted to compatible units via the pull-down menu.
The Math / Science
Every mammal has two biological parents. Every generation increases the total number of ancestors by a factor of 2. Therefore, the total number of ancestors is equal to:
nA = 2n
where:
- nA = number of ancestor
- n = number of generations going back
The time span is a function of the number of generations and the average time between generations:
tS = n * gT
where:
- tS = Time Span of all generations
- n = number of generations
- gT = average time between generations
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