cloning

The true story of a group of young scientists who set out to bring the Woolly Mammoth, a creature that has been extinct for three thousand years, back into the world through a sequencing of frozen DNA harvested from the Arctic circle.

Explores how scientists around the world are resurrecting various kinds of extinct animals through fossils and genetic technologies.

Who wouldn't be thrilled to see a real, live dinosaur, like those in Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park? Readers find out if it is possible to bring extinct animals back to life. This book delves into the science behind attempts to revive extinct species through processes such as cloning and genetic engineering, and compares actual with fictional efforts. It looks at how scientists have gone about trying to revive extinct species, such as the quagga, woolly mammoth, and passenger pigeon. It also considers the ethics and the ecological effects of trying to revive an extinct species and introduce it to a modern-day ecosystem.

Explores the pros and cons of bringing animals like the passenger pigeon or the woolly mammoth back from extinction and discusses the cutting-edge science that makes it possible.

Provides an updated look at cloning, discussing its background and history, problems and possible solutions, effects on society, and various perspectives. Includes profiles of people and organizations, a chronology, primary source documents, and resources for further research.

"Using DNA collected from remains as a genetic blueprint, scientists aim to engineer extinct traits - traits that have evolved by natural selection over thousands of years - into living organisms. [The author] argues rather than viewing de-extinction as a way to restore one particular species...that the overarching goal should be the revitalization and stabilization of contempory ecosystems"--Dust jacket.