Today we’re reviewing Evolution’s Child (1999), a made-for-TV movie in which a woman is accidentally impregnated by sperm from an Ötzi-inspired ice mummy, and ultimately gives birth to a child with magical bronze age powers—and one fatal weakness. We talk ancient diseases, DNA contamination, and genetic memory, and Ross reassures us that this probably won’t happen at your local IVF clinic.

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In this episode:

Alzheimer’s disease throughout history: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0197-4580(98)00052-9

Origins of sickle cell disease: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types/diversity/african-american-blood-donors/history-of-sickle-cell-disease.html

Ancient pollution from metallurgy: https://vice.com/en/article/z4m7e4/ancient-metallurgy-suggests-the-anthropocene-started-thousands-of-years-ago

Present-day DNA contamination in ancient DNA: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bies.202000081

A woman requested to be impregnated by Ötzi’s sperm: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3418206/

Evolution of lactase persistence: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230503/What-is-lactase-persistence-and-how-did-it-evolve.aspx

Museum of Anthropology, UBC: https://moa.ubc.ca/

Robson Square Steps: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/robson-square-accessibility-1.5255477

Epigenetics: https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/disease/epigenetics.htm

“Genetic memory” in mice: https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnn.3594

Epigenetic effects of famines: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/31/science/dutch-famine-genes.html

Geordi is a fucking incel: https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/9uz83w/remember_the_time_dr_brahms_stumbled_upon_geordis/

Star trek the Next Futurama: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU09gLXwc_A&list=PLghELjfG88YEGpW22Y5AAZxiihGj3qEPb