Why read How to Clone a Mammoth?

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

Book description

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…

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Why read it?

1 author picked How to Clone a Mammoth as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jeff Campbell

Author

Shapiro’s title is a bait-and-switch. She immediately makes clear in big block letters: "WE CAN’T CLONE A MAMMOTH!" It’s impossible. So what is she doing? Well, we can genetically rejigger Asian elephants to resemble woolly mammoths, and that could be useful. Erzats mammoths might help restore the Siberian tundra, and bioengineered, cold-adapted elephants could expand their range north, which would help them survive climate change. Shapiro has little patience for romantic visions of restoring extinct species, but she makes a compelling—and reassuring—case for how we can use bioengineering to save endangered species while they still exist.

From Jeff's list on stop worrying and love bioengineered animals.