How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction

by Beth Shapiro

Overview

An insider's view on bringing extinct species back to life

Could extinct species, like mammoths and passenger pigeons, be brought back to life? In How to Clone a Mammoth, Beth Shapiro, an evolutionary biologist and pioneer in ancient DNA research, addresses this intriguing question by walking readers through the astonishing and controversial process of de-extinction. From deciding which species should be restored to anticipating how revived populations might be overseen in the wild, Shapiro vividly explores the extraordinary cutting-edge science that is being used to resurrect the past. Considering de-extinction's practical benefits and ethical challenges, Shapiro argues that the overarching goal should be the revitalization and stabilization of contemporary ecosystems. Looking at the very real and compelling science behind an idea once seen as science fiction, How to Clone a Mammoth demonstrates how de-extinction will redefine conservation's future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691209005
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	09/08/2020
Series:	Princeton Science Library , #107
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Beth Shapiro is associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, and she received a MacArthur Award in 2009.

Table of Contents

Prologue ix

Chapter 1 Reversing Extinction 1

Chapter 2 Select a Species 17

Chapter 3 Find a Well-Preserved Specimen 51

Chapter 4 Create a Clone 73

Chapter 5 Breed Them Back 99

Chapter 6 Reconstruct the Genome 109

Chapter 7 Reconstruct Part of the Genome 125

Chapter 8 Now Create a Clone 141

Chapter 9 Make More of Them 159

Chapter 10 Set Them Free 175

Chapter 11 Should We? 189

Acknowledgments 209

Notes 211

Index 213

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Bringing a lost species back to life is an exciting prospect and also a scary one. No one is better able to explain the challenges and the potential of the enterprise than Beth Shapiro. How to Clone a Mammoth is an engaging, rigorous, and deeply thoughtful book."—Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

"How to Clone a Mammoth is essential reading. Describing the cutting-edge science, and tackling the misleading ideas, surrounding de-extinction, this book immerses us in current discussions as well as the debates that are sure to come."—Joel L. Cracraft, American Museum of Natural History

"How to Clone a Mammoth takes a careful and entertaining look at the possibilities and consequences of bringing such animals as the mammoth and passenger pigeon back from extinction. Well-written and informative, the book explores the science and people involved in these investigations and the difficulties and false leads that have been encountered."—Peter H. Raven, president emeritus, Missouri Botanical Garden

"From basic science to ethics, How to Clone a Mammoth is a thorough and captivating exploration of an area at the leading edge of conservation biology. This book educates readers and entices all of us to delve more deeply into the issues discussed."—Simon Levin, author of Fragile Dominion

Editorial Reviews

"This book is an excellent introduction to the emergent science of de-extinction. Shapiro is a gifted writer who makes a complex subject accessible to readers with little science acumen. . . . The beauty of this work is in its honesty: Shapiro, who is invested in this science as a practitioner, does not attempt to woo the masses. She takes the ethical concerns head on, not as an advocate but as an honest broker."

Choice

"[Beth Shapiro's] book exposes the fallacies in our thinking about such activities, as well as the real possibilities and even potential values of restoring some extinct species. This is not a silly book; rather, it is a serious story well told and a fun read."

Buffalo News

"Beth Shapiro's 'how-to' manual couldn't be more timely."

New Scientist

"In this lucid road map for the nascent discipline of ‘de-extinction,' Shapiro, an evolutionary biologist, examines not only how we can resurrect long-vanished species but also when we cannot or should not."

Scientific American

"As Shapiro sees it, de-extinction isn't about geeky genetic sleight of hand or about the resurrection of legendary beasts; it's a valuable new tool for conserving and enriching the global ecosystem."

Natural History

"Shapiro's book is fascinating."

The Irish Examiner

Winner of the 2016 PROSE Award in Popular Science & Popular Mathematics, Association of American Publishers

2016 Gold Medal Winner in Science, Independent Publisher Book Awards

Winner of the 2016 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, Young Adult Science Books

Shortlisted for the 2016 Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, Phi Beta Kappa Society

One of The Independent’s 6 Best Books in Science 2015

Finalist for the 2015 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science & Technology

One of Flavorwire’s 10 Must-Read Academic Books for 2015

One of NewScientist.com CultureLab’s Best Reads from 2015

One of Science News’ Favorite Books of 2015

"Beth Shapiro . . . has produced a fascinating book. . . . For anyone who wants a thorough understanding of the technical issues involved in de-extinction, How to Clone a Mammoth should satisfy your curiosity."—-Carl Zimmer, Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher

"Beth Shapiro's 'how-to' manual couldn't be more timely."

New Scientist

"As Shapiro sees it, de-extinction isn't about geeky genetic sleight of hand or about the resurrection of legendary beasts; it's a valuable new tool for conserving and enriching the global ecosystem."

Natural History

2015-01-04
MacArthur fellow Shapiro (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology/Univ. of California, Santa Cruz) considers the nature and prospects of "de-extinction," the return of creatures gone the way of the dodo.Although the author goes to great lengths to demystify the art and science of cloning, it requires access to a preserved living cell. So we can forget visions of Jurassic Park. Well, almost, for it is very likely that, eventually, we will be able to resurrect the traits and behaviors of bygone animals, if not Dolly-like replicas. However, Shapiro is quick to add, the de-extinction of, for instance, the passenger pigeon or the woolly mammoth would require not only enormous amounts of money—to both create and to monitor—but also minute attention to a mare's-nest of needs for the animal. Consider those creatures that we didn't kill to extinction but that disappeared as a result of habitat loss. Consider that most animals are social and would require a cohort to exist with any form of natural circumstance. There is also the question of whether it would be better to achieve the near product via selective breeding or through the highly complex process of genetic synthesis. In the case of the mammoth, writes the author, "[l]ess than 2 percent of the elephant genome would need to be edited, but 70 million changes is a lot of changes to make." Furthermore, how would the newly created creatures fraternize with existing animals, and how would they alter the environment? As with certain forms of genetically engineered plants, we may not know the consequences until it's too late. We also don't want these animals to be freaks but to exist in their natural states—"the resurrection of ecological interactions"—at a time when extinction barely scratches people's consciousness. Extinction is still forever, writes Shapiro, but fashioning a first cousin—with all its intriguing and alarming possibilities—possessing the same behavioral quirks is within reach.

Kirkus Reviews