#Ice age dodo bird how to

Before mammoth de-extinction proceeds beyond the first stages of sequencing and manipulating genomes, we need to know much more about how to perform these later steps in ways that are not harmful to elephants. We would need elephant eggs, elephant maternal hosts and elephant surrogate families to raise the unextinct mammoths before releasing them into the wild. Problematically, mammoth de-extinction would necessarily involve working with and manipulating female elephants. In my mind, the mammoth is a great choice for both of these reasons. The best choice would be an animal that could not only inspire people to be interested in science and technology but that also would have a net positive impact on the environment. Because there are so many steps along the way to de-extinction, there is no particular species that is an ideal candidate for being brought back to life. What extinct animal would you most like to bring back to life?

In a recent interview, we discussed the practicality of de-extinction, and the lighter sides of genetic tinkering. In her recent book How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction, Shapiro builds on her vast experience studying ancient DNA (from woolly mammoths and bison to dodos and passenger pigeons) to offer a primer on the steps required and the questions to answer before species resurrection can become a reality. Exhilarating because of the unprecedented opportunities to understand life and boost conservation efforts, but terrifying in part for its ethical quandaries. Resurrecting extinct animals is both “exhilarating and terrifying,” says Beth Shapiro, an expert in ancient DNA and a biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz.