--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It turns out that every person alive…" description: "\"It turns out that every person alive today can trace his or her ancestry back to Africa. Everyone's DNA tells a story of a journey from an African home..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/spencer-wells-33666_africa_it-turns-out-that-every-person-alive-tod_460614.png" --- # It turns out that every person alive today can trace his… ![“It turns out that every person alive today can trace his or her ancestry back to Africa. Everyone's DNA tells a story of a journey from an African homeland to wherever you live.” quote by Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/spencer-wells-33666_africa_it-turns-out-that-every-person-alive-tod_460614.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/spencer-wells-33666_africa_it-turns-out-that-every-person-alive-tod_460614.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/spencer-wells-33666_africa_it-turns-out-that-every-person-alive-tod_460614.png) > “It turns out that every person alive today can trace his or her ancestry back to Africa. Everyone's DNA tells a story of a journey from an African homeland to wherever you live.” [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. All modern humans share African origins; DNA maps migration from Africa to the world. **In simple terms:** Everyone descends from Africa. Key Takeaway Recognize our shared heritage. Themes humanity migration genetics Mood reflective inquisitive Type historical scientific educational When to use this quote - education - genealogy - cultural identity - global citizenship Key Concepts evolution population genetics ancestry Questions to Reflect On - How does this knowledge affect your sense of identity? - What responsibilities arise from shared ancestry? A Different Perspective Oversimplifies complex migration patterns and ignores indigenous narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africa/) [Africa Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africa-dna-4001907/) [African](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african/) [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Ancestry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestry/) [Ancestry Africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestry-africa-4001908/) [Back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back/) [Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) [Dna Tells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna-tells-1960164/) [Every](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every/) [Everyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyone/) [Her](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/her/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [Homeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homeland/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live/) [Live Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-today/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Tells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tells/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Trace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trace/) [Trace Ancestry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trace-ancestry-4001909/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Wherever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wherever/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [People like to trace their ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/people-like-to-trace-their-ancestry/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We really invented the genre of tracing family trees and going back as far as we could on the paper trail. When the paper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/we-really-invented-the-genre-of-tracing-family-trees-and-going-back/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [If the means were available, we could trace our ancestry - yours and mine - back to the first blob of life-like material that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-d-simak/if-the-means-were-available-we-could-trace-our-ancestry-yours-and/) [Clifford D. Simak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-d-simak/) > [I received a most amusing postcard the other morning. Unfortunately, it was not signed in a readable manner so I cannot answer it privately.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-received-a-most-amusing-postcard-the-other-morning-unfortunately-it/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [DNA tells you all the secrets of life,’ he used to say. Except for one—how to live it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/dna-tells-you-all-the-secrets-of-life-he-used-to-say-except-for-one/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [Latinos are not monochromatic. You know, they trace their ancestry back to South America, to Central America, to Mexico, like in my family, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/latinos-are-not-monochromatic-you-know-they-trace-their-ancestry-back/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [ So what we can answer \[as geneticists\] is questions about biology, about biological ancestry. But to make any sense of that historically we have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/so-what-we-can-answer-as-geneticists-is-questions-about-biology-about/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [DNA ties us all together; we share ancestry with barracuda and bacteria and mushrooms, if you go far enough back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/dna-ties-us-all-together-we-share-ancestry-with-barracuda-and/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [My shadow in my art is one way I trace who I was and where I have been. My shadow and I have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-cartwright/my-shadow-in-my-art-is-one-way-i-trace-who-i-was-and-where-i-have/) [Angela Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-cartwright/) > [I can clearly trace my passion for reading back to the Jonesboro, Georgia, library, where, for the first time in my life, I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/i-can-clearly-trace-my-passion-for-reading-back-to-the-jonesboro/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [While they trace their history back to wars that helped to ethnically cleanse Native Americans and to their exploits in the Civil War fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-sexton-iii/while-they-trace-their-history-back-to-wars-that-helped-to-ethnically/) [Brendan Sexton III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-sexton-iii/) > ['Without a Trace' analyzes criminal behavior in the special context of a disappearance. We consider it a suspense thriller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-tassler/without-a-trace-analyzes-criminal-behavior-in-the-special-context-of/) [Nina Tassler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-tassler/) > [I have friends that tease me about 'Without a Trace;' they say, 'You're really good at saying, 'Have you seen this person?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-close/i-have-friends-that-tease-me-about-without-a-trace-they-say-you-re/) [Eric Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-close/) > [In the imperfect records left of the anatomy of the ancient Egyptians, no trace of any knowledge of the spleen can be ascertained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-gray/in-the-imperfect-records-left-of-the-anatomy-of-the-ancient-egyptians/) [Henry Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-gray/) > [“Zed and Sky had stayed behind and were chatting with Will, Sky sitting on Zed's knee as if nothing was going to get them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stirling/zed-and-sky-had-stayed-behind-and-were-chatting-with-will-sky-sitting/) [Joss Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stirling/) ## More by Spencer Wells > [We spent an enormous amount of time as hominids and as primates living as hunter-gatherers. That is the natural way for us to live,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/we-spent-an-enormous-amount-of-time-as-hominids-and-as-primates/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [“Creativity is imagining something that isn't there and making it real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/creativity-is-imagining-something-that-isn-t-there-and-making-it-real/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [DNA ties us all together; we share ancestry with barracuda and bacteria and mushrooms, if you go far enough back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/dna-ties-us-all-together-we-share-ancestry-with-barracuda-and/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [Imagine you're copying a very long document, and occasionally you'll put an A where there should be a C. And that mistake has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/imagine-you-re-copying-a-very-long-document-and-occasionally-you-ll/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [“The biggest revolution of the past 50,000 years of human history was not the advent of the Internet, the growth of the industrial age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/the-biggest-revolution-of-the-past-50-000-years-of-human-history-was/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [We are all Africans under the skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/we-are-all-africans-under-the-skin/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [Every drop of human blood contains a history book written in the language of our genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/every-drop-of-human-blood-contains-a-history-book-written-in-the/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [If you go far enough back, your genome connects you with bacteria, butterflies, and barracuda - the great chain of being linked together through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/if-you-go-far-enough-back-your-genome-connects-you-with-bacteria/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [Many of the crises we see in the 21st century, I would argue, have their roots in the dawn of the Neolithic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/many-of-the-crises-we-see-in-the-21st-century-i-would-argue-have/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [What if I told you every single person in America - every single person on Earth - is African? With a small scrape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/what-if-i-told-you-every-single-person-in-america-every-single-person/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [Taken with the archaeological data, we can say that the old hypothesis of an invasion of people - not merely their language - from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/taken-with-the-archaeological-data-we-can-say-that-the-old-hypothesis/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [The greatest history book ever written is the one hidden in our DNA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/the-greatest-history-book-ever-written-is-the-one-hidden-in-our-dna/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) > [ So what we can answer \[as geneticists\] is questions about biology, about biological ancestry. But to make any sense of that historically we have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-wells/so-what-we-can-answer-as-geneticists-is-questions-about-biology-about/) [Spencer Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) [Explore all 14 Spencer Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-wells/) ## More Africa quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/) [Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/) > [South Africa needs a second liberation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mugabe/south-africa-needs-a-second-liberation/) [Robert Mugabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mugabe/) > [There's a place in Botswana where there are 100,000 elephants living in a single population. Think of the amount of space they need. Remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bergin/there-s-a-place-in-botswana-where-there-are-100-000-elephants-living/) [Patrick Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bergin/) > [If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-you-followed-the-media-you-d-think-that-everybody-in-africa-was/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [Africa for the Africans... at home and abroad!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-garvey/africa-for-the-africans-at-home-and-abroad/) [Marcus Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-garvey/) > [In Africa, animals and the natural landscape allow local communities to support themselves, as there is a constant source of money from tourism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lidington/in-africa-animals-and-the-natural-landscape-allow-local-communities/) [David Lidington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lidington/) > [My mom is from Ghana, and my dad is from Detroit, so I would go back and forth to Africa a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-richardson/my-mom-is-from-ghana-and-my-dad-is-from-detroit-so-i-would-go-back/) [Sam Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-richardson/) > [I've never been invited to do an exhibition or do a talk in England, except once, about 10 years ago. I've given talks all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wildsmith/i-ve-never-been-invited-to-do-an-exhibition-or-do-a-talk-in-england/) [Brian Wildsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wildsmith/) > [I represent my country, but I also represent the continent of Africa when I play in Europe. That's why it's important to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaya-toure/i-represent-my-country-but-i-also-represent-the-continent-of-africa/) [Yaya Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaya-toure/) > [What we need in South Africa is for egos to be suppressed in favour of peace. We need to create a new breed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hani/what-we-need-in-south-africa-is-for-egos-to-be-suppressed-in-favour/) [Chris Hani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hani/) > [I was learning to track rhinoceroses in Africa and tracked right up on an animal that really I thought was going to kill me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/i-was-learning-to-track-rhinoceroses-in-africa-and-tracked-right-up/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [I am interested in bringing Africa to the foot of the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhard-bonnke/i-am-interested-in-bringing-africa-to-the-foot-of-the-cross/) [Reinhard Bonnke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhard-bonnke/) > [My mother is a huge fan of my work. I told her about 'Coraline' long before the film was made, and she got the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/my-mother-is-a-huge-fan-of-my-work-i-told-her-about-coraline-long/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) [Browse all 1,665 Africa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africa/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It turns out that every person alive today can trace his or her ancestry back to Africa. 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