The Hunt for FOXP5: A Genomic Mystery Novel

256 Pages·2016·2.562 MB·English

by  Wallace Kaufman, David Deamer (auth.)

Wallace Kaufman · David Deamer
The Hunt
for FOXP5
A Genomic Mystery Novel
ScienceandFiction
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Amnon H Eden
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Wallace Kaufman David Deamer
The Hunt for FOXP5
A Genomic Mystery Novel
WallaceKaufman DavidDeamer
Newport,Oregon SantaCruz,California
USA USA
ISSN2197-1188 ISSN2197-1196 (electronic)
ScienceandFiction
ISBN978-3-319-28960-1 ISBN978-3-319-28961-8 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-28961-8
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016935426
©SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2016
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Contents
Part I
The Novel. . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . . .. . 1
1
The Hunt for FOXP5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Part II
The Science Behind the Fiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
2
Scientific Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
vii
Part I
The Novel
The Hunt for FOXP5
Like Sisyphus rollinghis boulderuptothe topofthehill
onlyto haveittumbledownagain, thehumangenepool
createshereditarygeniusinmanywaysinmanyplacesonly
tohave itcomeapart inthe nextgeneration.
E. O.Wilson 1978
Chapter 1
December 2020
fi ’
Students lled every seat in the University of Oregons biology lecture hall.
Latecomersweresittingonsteps,andafewstudentsinT-shirtsandjeanswere
standingbehindthelastrow.Theusuallowmurmurofconversationdiedaway
whenthelightsdimmedandastrangeimageappearedonthescreenabovethe
stage. Enthusiastic clapping erupted as the speaker emerged from behind the
fi
curtainandstrodecon dentlytothepodium.Shesteppedontoa6in.wooden
boxputthereforher,andgrippedbothsidesofthepodiumasiftosteadyit.She
stood quietly, smiling at the audience until the applause quieted. Then she
releasedthepodiumanddirectedalasertowardtheimagesbehindher.
“ fi
Youseefourfacesonthescreen.The rstisobviouslyababoon.Thesecond
— ’
youmightknowisabonobo,butthethirdyouwillhavetoguess itsHomo
”
erectus,oneofourprimateancestors. Thespeakerthenusedthelaserbeamto
circlethefourthimage,anillustrationfromNationalGeographicshowinganude
fi
femaleholdinganinfant.Shewasobviouslyhuman,buthaddarkskinand ne
“ ’ ”
furonherarmsandlegs. Thisisyourmother,andmine.WellcallherMa.
Atwitteroflaughterroseinawaveofsoundthatcrestedandgraduallyspent
itself in the darkened auditorium. The faces faded from the screen and a
fi
spotlight circled the small, trim gure in a white pants suit, her face framed
by a neat helmet of black hair. Michelle Murphy at 36 did not stand out in a
©SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2016
W.Kaufman,D.Deamer,TheHuntforFOXP5,ScienceandFiction,
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-28961-8_1