Progenitor

Definitions

1. A forefather, any of a person's direct ancestors.
2. A person from whom one or more people (dynasty, tribe, nation…) are descended.
3. An ancestral form of a species.
4. A predecessor of something, especially if also a precursor or model.
   figuratively
5. Someone who originates something.
   figuratively
6. A founder.

Equivalents

Examples

“Abraham, alias Ibrahim, is the presumed progenitor of both the Jewish and Arab peoples.”

“ARPANET was the progenitor of the Internet.”

“Are neural progenitor cells infected by Zika virus?”

CEFR level