Ep. 075: Cloning Mammoths

Published: 2017-08-03 16:24:00

Description Show ▼

Steven Rinella talks with paleogeneticist Dr. Beth Shapiro, along with Janis Putelis of the MeatEater crew.

Subjects Discussed: U.C. Santa Cruz and the Ewok forest; ancient DNA and the assumptions it has added to our world; black footed ferrets; the romance versus the reality of de-extinction; the volatile speed of DNA decay; mammoth tusks and sheep piss; horn-core morphology; 400 pound kiwis and 9-foot Haast's eagles; volcanoes; big-assed bison with 6-foot horn spreads; biological species concept; the persnickety sage grouse; and more.

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Referenced Books

How to Clone a Mammoth

by Beth Shapiro

Beth Shapiro's book about de-extinction is discussed multiple times throughout the conversation. The subtitle is mentioned as 'The Science of de Extinction' (or similar). She discusses various alternative subtitle suggestions and the book's focus on the technological, ethical, and ecological considerations of bringing extinct species back to life. The book is referenced both in the middle of the conversation during mammoth cloning discussions and at the end as a resource for listeners.

Referenced at 00:00:00

Jurassic Park

by Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton's book (implied to be Jurassic Park, though not explicitly titled) is referenced in the context of ancient DNA and amber preservation. Beth Shapiro mentions that 'Michael Crichton, when he wrote his book actually wrote in the acknowledgments that he was grateful to the Extinct Species Working Group at UC Berkeley' and that discussions about ancient DNA inspired him. The conversation then discusses how the book/movie inspired scientists to try recovering DNA from insects in amber.

Referenced at 00:00:00