I've seen many musicologists compare the Basso Continuo of the Baroque Era to the Jazz Rhythm Section, an analogy which I think is valid and understandable. Here's one reference (of many) that I pulled up now in a quick search (Ignore the vast generalization about improvisation in the Baroque Era - that's a different issue.):
Jazz is not the first musical genre to celebrate improvisation nor is it the first to feature a rhythm section to keep an ensemble's performance together. During the Baroque, a period of music history that lasted from 1600-1750, musicians were almost as free to improvise on their melodies as jazz musicians are today.
The Baroque equivalent of the jazz rhythm section was the basso continuo. The term refers to a continuous bass line in a Baroque piece, with harmonies improvised on top of it
Question: Did the Basso Continuo of the Baroque eventually "evolve" into the Jazz Rhythm section, making it the "great-great-great grandson" of the Basso Continuo?
Or, maybe this relationship is better thought of as "Convergent evolution"? The independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineage - like the wing of the bird and the wing of the bat? I.e. - the musical requirements of both genres, although separated by 200 years or so in time and due to no apparent historical connections between the two, fostered the concept of a "rhythm section" to ensure coherence and continuity in their respective styles of music.