Dictionary
pro•gen•i•tor
Pronunciation: (prō-jen'i-tur), [key]—
n.
1. a biologically related ancestor:
a progenitor of the species.
2. a person or thing that first indicates a direction, originates something, or serves as a model; predecessor; precursor:
the progenitor of modern painting. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.