Earth Bound — P.A. Seasholtz

in·dig·e·nous adjective in-ˈdi-jə-nəs

² : originating or developing or produced naturally in a particular land, region, or environment  

 There was enough evidence in the archeological record to suggest humans had evolved naturally on Earth, but I had seen enough in the wider galaxy to know a manipulation of the evidence was not an impossibility.  Discovering the last common ancestor, or missing link as it is more commonly termed, had remained inconclusive, leaving the door open for an external intervention.  Even if a linier genetic chain was discovered, it would not necessitate that it had occurred naturally.  Genetic stock from pre-human primates could easily have been brought forward to produce a more viable species, no different from our chameleon traits.  In the end, I did not believe it mattered if humans were completely indigenous to Earth.  If a manipulation had occurred, who had done it was the more important mystery to unlock.