Collocations for ancestor - noun

direct
The builder of the manor house is a direct ancestor of the present owner.

immediate | distant, early, remote
a distant ancestor of mine Our earliest ancestors lived in a world fraught with danger.

common
The two species share a common ancestor.

illustrious
The Romans built these monuments to glorify their illustrious ancestors.

be descended from, have, share
A lot of the people there are descended from a common ancestor.

trace
He can trace his ancestors back to the reign of James the First.