THE SHIFT: A Work of Fiction with a Sprinkling of Evolutionary Science

By Carolyn Buffington

A Work of Fiction with a Sprinkling of Evolutionary Science

There is a surprising amount of unexpressed DNA lurking within the human body. A stunning 98 percent of our DNA has no known purpose. It is evolutionary detritus. What might happen if a portion of that silent DNA was suddenly not so silent? While most evolutionary change occurs over many millennia, genetic adaptions can occur rapidly, literally from one generation to the next. Environmental stressors can change the way genes are expressed, even though the genes may remain the same. We are poised for a genetic leap. The appearance of a new hominid species will happen, eventually. That’s the way evolution works. The alternative to adaptation is extinction. So perhaps our children will not be exactly like us. How would the world react?

Set against the backdrop of a continuing COVID-19 pandemic, a once-in-a-millennium drought, a divisive culture, and a society reliant on misinformation from social media, follow the story of a very human mother and her maybe not-so-very-human daughter and grandson as they try their best to live normal lives in a rapidly changing world that is anything but normal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Jul 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9781665741958

Carolyn Buffington

The author has both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Zoology, and a law degree. She briefly worked as a research assistant in a genetics laboratory. She spent the bulk of her career in the legal profession. Biology, particularly evolution, has always captured her interest.

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Copyright © 2023 Carolyn Buffington.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

without the written permission of the author except in the case

of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Archway Publishing

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not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the

publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-4196-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-4197-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-4195-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023906700

Archway Publishing rev. date: 08/18/2023

CONTENTS

Introduction

Part 1   Beth

Beth

Dr. Catherine Taylor, Professor

Beth

Anthropology 212

Catherine

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Catherine

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Catherine

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Catherine

Beth

Anthropology 212

Beth

Anthropology 212

Catherine

Beth

Part 2   Olivia

Olivia

Anthropology 212

Olivia

Anthropology 212

Olivia

Anthropology 212

Olivia

Anthropology 212

Olivia

Anthropology 212

Olivia

Anthropology 212

Catherine

Olivia

Anthropology 212

Olivia

Anthropology 212

Olivia

Anthropology 212

Olivia

Catherine

Olivia

Part 3   Miles

Miles

Anthropology 212

Miles

Anthropology 212

Miles

Anthropology 212

Miles

Anthropology 212

Catherine

Afterword

Author’s Note

About the Author

INTRODUCTION

We have a surprising amount of unexpressed DNA lurking within our human bodies. A stunning 98 percent of our DNA has no known purpose. It is evolutionary detritus. What might happen if, for some of us, a portion of that silent DNA was suddenly not so silent?

2egg.psd

Part 1

BETH

LINCOLN, OHIO

2019–2020

BETH

August 12, 2019

Dear Child,

I can’t wait to meet you. I want to hold you, love you, look into your face, hold your hand, watch you grow, and keep you safe. I am writing this journal for you. If it turns out I am not around to tell you, I want you to understand how and why you came to be. I owe you that. I like to keep track of things. I have been told I am meticulous.

Despite the odds, the home pregnancy test tells me I am pregnant. With you. You were conceived on July 7, 2019. You will be here in eight months. I don’t know how I am going to wait that long.

To be clear, this is not a diary. I find diaries to be boring. I am only going to tell you what I think you need to know.

DR. CATHERINE TAYLOR, PROFESSOR

Department of Anthropology

Canadian Eastern University

Toronto, Ontario

Anthropology 212: Human Evolution in North America

Fall Quarter

Recorded Lecture

September 18, 2145

I want to thank everyone for signing up for this class. I did not put a limit on the number of students for this quarter, and as you can see, we are in the largest lecture hall that Canadian Eastern University has to offer. A few housekeeping matters:

Although my lectures will be recorded, I appreciate in-person attendance. There is value to physically immersing yourself in the learning process. For obvious reasons, this is a popular class, even for non–anthropology majors, and I would like to think that is due in part to the quality of the lectures. [Some polite but nervous laughter ripples through the lecture hall.] There is no textbook for this class, which also probably contributes to its popularity. [More confident laughter this time.] Citations to some of the published works I have used as references in preparing these lectures may be found on my webpage; I do expect you to read that material. Feel free to do your own research as well. I know you will approach this class with enthusiasm because that is your nature. There is no midterm or final exam, but you will be asked to write three essays. [A few isolated groans.]

Most of my lectures will focus on the events as they unfolded in the United States of America and Canada in 2020 and the following years. As an anthropologist, I find this to be the most intriguing period in the history of humankind, even though it was only 125 years ago. So much was happening and so little was known. People generally dislike unknowns.

My colleague, Dr. Marguerite Sanchez, teaches a companion class that covers the same period in Europe and Asia. Taking both classes will allow you to compare the differing political and cultural responses to this remarkable evolutionary phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere. Dr. Sanchez’s class will be available in the spring quarter.

Despite what you may have heard from your fellow students, this class is not to be considered an easy A. Whether you intend to pursue a career in the field of biological anthropology or not, it is important that you become critical thinkers. There is a difference between being smart and being intelligent. You might have been born with a high IQ, but being wise requires patience and effort. More than you might think.

Let me define anthropology. Simply put, it is the study of humanity. But it is the study of humanity in two temporal directions. It is a study of the past to understand where we came from, and it is a study of possible and probable futures for humankind. It is a gloriously messy combination of biology, sociology, psychology, history, and genetics. I realize the term human can still be somewhat controversial, but I use the word in its broadest sense at this point.

Shall we begin?

BETH

August 18, 2019

Dear Child,

At six weeks old, you are the size of a grain of rice. But I feel the enormity of you.

The following words do not come easily to this journal, but I feel I must explain my state of mind. For as long as I have been thinking about such things, I have wanted a baby. When my girlfriends became pregnant, I was thrilled for them. I planned baby showers. I organized meal trains when their babies were born. I would stare at their bundles of joy just as they did and declare how every movement little Charlie or Lizzie made was adorable. Those children changed all of us. We began to drift apart, my friends with their children, and me without. Dinner parties and trivia nights gave way to soccer games and baby swim lessons. I became jealous of their beautiful children with their sweet faces and tiny hands that loved to be held. My want of a child turned into a need. The need grew to become an ever-present sadness. I found excuses to decline the dwindling invitations from my friends who were suddenly all parents, and eventually, the invitations stopped. I am not proud of my behavior, but it was less painful to distance myself from my friends than to see them with their children.

Two months ago, I turned forty. I did not celebrate, but I did make a decision. I have some streaks of gray in my hair. The skin on my neck has changed. I have some spots on the backs of my hands that I swear appeared overnight. I’m not overweight, but if I pinch the skin on my thigh, I can see the dreaded cellulite. I have had several semiserious boyfriends, but none of them swept me off my feet, and there has not been a baby-making candidate in my life for the last few years. I considered adoption, but I wanted you to be mine, at least half mine. I hope you will forgive me that I found your father at a sperm bank.

It has been proven that many traits are heritable: dimples, curly hair, freckles, and handedness, but also mental illness. I suspect that our genes control a lot more of the human condition than most people would like to admit. I was grateful for all the information available about the donors: height, weight, hair color, eye color, blood type, ethnicity, medical history, psychological history, likes, and dislikes. You hope the donors are being honest. I have to admit that it was unsettling to shop for traits and characteristics, but I suppose when you fall in love with your mate, you think about all those things on some subconscious level. I assume parents make those choices in cultures where there are arranged marriages. I followed my instincts.

This is what we know about him. He is (was?) five foot eleven, 180 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, and no remarkable medical history. Not too tall and not too short. Not too muscular and not too thin. I am all those things as well. I want you to look like me. There was a picture of him as a young boy, around four years old. He had straight hair, neatly cut, and a nice smile. I liked his smile. His favorite activities as an adult were listed as reading and hiking. Those are my two favorite things too. But what drew me to him is that he is an artist. A painter. Mostly portraits, but landscapes as well. He paints in oils, acrylics, and watercolors. From what I understand, most artists play it safe and stick to one medium, so I think he must be creative and confident. I think those are good qualities, so I hope I have given you those strengths with his DNA.

I had to decide whether this arrangement should be closed or open. What if, one day, this donor wants to track you