Evolving

Leigh Therriault

Evolve.
Or face extinction.
Mixed murmurs from
our ancient cousins,
the Neanderthals.
Evermore,
their genetic legacy
endures
immersed in our cells,
transcending time.

The Science

This piece explores the intersection of ancient DNA and time. Our extinct relatives, Neanderthals, survive through us, modern humans, by passing on genetic traits that affect our facial features, fertility, and immune systems. Despite the disappearance of Neanderthals around 40,000 years ago, half of the Neanderthal genome can still be found in small fragments among humans. Therefore, no matter how much time passes, ancient DNA finds a way to stay.

The Poet

Leigh Therriault is a writer and researcher from Ottawa, Canada. She is completing a Master of Science in Communication, Behaviour and Credibility Analysis at the Manchester Metropolitan University, and recently graduated from the Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) certificate program at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Leigh currently volunteers on a team using IGG to help resolve unidentified human remains cases. She also writes poems and stories for young readers and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and the Canadian Authors Association. Leigh has 260 variants in her DNA that trace back to the Neanderthals.

Next poem: In Memory of the Jurassic Horseshoe Crab Mesolimulus by Horus Balogh-Zanin