How to Clone a Mammoth

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 One of The Independent's 6 Best Books in Science 2015 Shortlisted for the 2016 Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, Phi Beta Kappa Society 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 "Shapiro ... Lays out a well-articulated argument for the 'resurrection of ecological interactions' as the most appropriate goal of de-extinction research... Her professorial voice shines in her thoughtful roadmap for practical decision making in theory-heavy science, as well as in her efforts to 'separate the science of de-extinction from the science fiction of de-extinction.' Readers will emerge with the ability to think more deeply about the facts of de-extinction and cloning at a time when hyperbolic and emotionally manipulative claims about such scientific breakthroughs are all too common."--Publishers Weekly "[A] disturbing and thoughtful new book... Shapiro makes a good, sensible, balanced case."--Cathy Gere, The Nation "[A] clear appraisal of what it would really take to resurrect extinct species... Several hurdles remain, and Shapiro presents these clearly and entertainingly as a brilliant thought experiment at the boundaries of biological plausibility."--Henry Nicholls, Nature "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 "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 a researcher who is shaping this field, Shapiro is the perfect guide to the ongoing discussion about de-extinction. While many news items and conference presentations have focused on the technology required to create extinct life, Shapiro carefully considers every step along the journey to de-extinction, from choosing a species to revive to making sure they don't become extinct all over again...Whether you're all for de-extinction or against it, Shapiro's sharp, witty, and impeccably-argued book is essential for informing those who will decide what life will become."--Briant Switek, National Geographic.com's Laelaps blog "[Shapiro] goes to great lengths to demystify the art and science of cloning."--Kirkus Reviews "Some of the best conversations I've had in recent months have come about while discussing de-extinction. The concept is simple: should we clone extinct animals, Jurassic Park-style, from found genetic material? How do we do it? What would the impact be on the environment? Shapiro makes it clear that we should have this discussion now because the future of de-extinction is real and coming fast."--Andrew Sturgeon, Flavorwire, from "10 Must-Read Academic Books of 2015" "[A] fascinating book... A great popular science title, and one that makes it clear that a future you may have imagined is already underway."--Library Journal, starred review "In How to Clone a Mammoth, Shapiro provides detailed descriptions of current

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.

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