Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction (David Suzuki Institute)

Does extinction have to be forever?℗ As the global extinction crisis accelerates, conservationists and policy-makers increasingly use advanced biotechnologies such as reproductive cloning, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bioinformatics in the urgent effort to save species.℗ Mendel's Ark℗ considers the ethical, cultural and social implications of using these tools for wildlife conservation.℗ Drawing upon sources ranging from science to science fiction, it focuses on the stories we tell about extinction and the meanings we ascribe to nature and technology.℗ The use of biotechnology in conservation is redrawing the boundaries between animals and machines, nature and artifacts, and life and death.℗ The new rhetoric and practice of de-extinction will thus have significant repercussions for wilderness and for society. The degree to which we engage collectively with both the prosaic and the fantastic aspects of biotechnological conservation will shape the boundaries and ethics of our desire to restore lost worlds. Part 1. Introduction. -- 1. Reproductive science as an essential component of conservation biology -- William V. Holt, Janine L. Brown, and Pierre Comizzoli ; -- 2. "Mayday Mayday Mayday", the Millennium Ark is sinking! -- Steven L. Monfort -- Part 2. The Big Picture : Can Species Survive and Adapt in a Changing World? -- 3. Climate change, extinction risks, and reproduction of terrestrial vertebrates -- Cynthia Carey ; -- 4. Impacts of endocrine disrupting chemicals on reproduction in wildlife -- Emmelianna Kumar and William V. Holt ; -- 5. The role of genomics in conservation and reproductive sciences -- Warren E. Johnson and Klaus Koepfli ; -- 6. The epigenetic basis of adaptation and responses to environmental change : perspective on human reproduction -- Agustín F. Fernández, Estela García Toraño, Rocío González Urdinguio, Abel Gayo Lana, Ignacio Arnott Fernández, and Mario F. Fraga ; -- 7. The black-footed ferret : on the brink of recovery? -- Rachel M. Santymire, Travis M. Livieri, Heather Branvold-Faber, and Paul E. Marinari ; -- 8. Comparative reproductive biology of elephants -- Janine L. Brown ; -- 9. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) : a case study in the development of reproductive technology in a marsupial -- Stephen D. Johnston and William V. Holt ; -- 10. Reproduction and advances in reproductive studies in carnivores -- Katarina Jewgenow and Nucharin Songsasen ; -- 11. Methods to examine reproductive biology in free-ranging, fully-marine mammals -- Janet M. Lanyon and Elizabeth A. Burgess ; -- 12. Amphibian declines in the twenty-first century : why we need assisted reproductive technologies -- John Clulow, Vance L. Trudeau, and Andrew J. Kouba ; -- 13. The reality, use and potential for cryopreservation of coral reefs -- Mary Hagedorn and Rebecca Spindler ; -- 14. Recent advances and prospects in germplasm preservation of rare and endangered species -- Pierre Comizzoli and William V. Holt ; -- 15. Sperm DNA fragmentation and its role in wildlife conservation -- Jaime Gosálvez, William V. Holt, and Stephen D. Johnston ; -- 16. Somatic cells, stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells : how do they now contribute to conservation? -- Gabriela F. Mastromonaco, L. Antonio González-Grajales, Melissa Filice, and Pierre Comizzoli ; -- 17. Biosafety in embryos and semen cryopreservation, storage, management and transport -- A. Bielanski ; -- 18. Fertility control in wildlife : review of current status, including novel and future technologies -- Deborah Garside, Ayman Gebril, Manal Alsaadi, and Valerie A. Ferro ; -- 19. Cloning the mammoth : a complicated task or just a dream? -- Pasqualino Loi, Joseph Saragusty, and Grazyna Ptak ; -- 20. Conclusions : environmental change, wildlife conservation and reproduction -- William V. Holt, Janine L. Brown, and Pierre Comizzoli Index.

Jurassic Park meets The Sixth Extinction in Rise of the Necrofauna, a provocative look at de-extinction from acclaimed documentarist and science writer Britt Wray.

A New Yorker “The Books We Loved in 2017” Selection
A Science News Favorite Book of 2017
A Sunday Times "Must Read"

What happens when you try to recreate a woolly mammoth—fascinating science, or conservation catastrophe?

In Rise of the Necrofauna, Wray takes us deep into the minds and labs of some of the world's most progressive thinkers to find out. She introduces us to renowned futurists like Stewart Brand and scientists like George Church, who are harnessing the powers of CRISPR gene editing in the hopes of "reviving" extinct passenger pigeons, woolly mammoths, and heath hens. She speaks with Nikita Zimov, who together with his eclectic father Sergey, is creating Siberia's Pleistocene Park—a daring attempt to rebuild the mammoth's ancient ecosystem in order to save earth from climate disaster. Through interviews with these and other thought leaders, Wray reveals the many incredible opportunities for research and conservation made possible by this emerging new field.

But we also hear from more cautionary voices, like those of researcher and award-winning author Beth Shapiro (How to Clone a Woolly Mammoth) and environmental philosopher Thomas van Dooren. Writing with passion and perspective, Wray delves into the larger questions that come with this incredible new science, reminding us that de-extinction could bring just as many dangers as it does possibilities. What happens, for example, when we bring an "unextinct" creature back into the wild? How can we care for these strange animals and ensure their comfort and safety—not to mention our own? And what does de-extinction mean for those species that are currently endangered? Is it really ethical to bring back an extinct passenger pigeon, for example, when countless other birds today will face the same fate?

By unpacking the many biological, technological, ethical, environmental, and legal questions raised by this fascinating new field, Wray offers a captivating look at the best and worst of resurrection science.

A captivating whirlwind tour through the birth and early life of the scientific idea known as “de-extinction.”—Beth Shapiro, author of How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction

Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute.

Jurassic Park meets The Sixth Extinction in Rise of the Necrofauna, a provocative look at de-extinction from acclaimed documentarist and science writer Britt Wray. A New Yorker "The Books We Loved in 2017" Selection A Science News Favorite Book of 2017 A Sunday Times "Must Read" What happens when you try to recreate a woolly mammoth—fascinating science, or conservation catastrophe? In Rise of the Necrofauna, Wray takes us deep into the minds and labs of some of the world's most progressive thinkers to find out. She introduces us to renowned futurists like Stewart Brand and scientists like George Church, who are harnessing the powers of CRISPR gene editing in the hopes of "reviving" extinct passenger pigeons, woolly mammoths, and heath hens. She speaks with Nikita Zimov, who together with his eclectic father Sergey, is creating Siberia's Pleistocene Park—a daring attempt to rebuild the mammoth's ancient ecosystem in order to save earth from climate disaster. Through interviews with these and other thought leaders, Wray reveals the many incredible opportunities for research and conservation made possible by this emerging new field. But we also hear from more cautionary voices, like those of researcher and award-winning author Beth Shapiro (How to Clone a Woolly Mammoth) and environmental philosopher Thomas van Dooren. Writing with passion and perspective, Wray delves into the larger questions that come with this incredible new science, reminding us that de-extinction could bring just as many dangers as it does possibilities. What happens, for example, when we bring an "unextinct" creature back into the wild? How can we care for these strange animals and ensure their comfort and safety—not to mention our own? And what does de-extinction mean for those species that are currently endangered? Is it really ethical to bring back an extinct passenger pigeon, for example, when countless other birds today will face the same fate? By unpacking the many biological, technological, ethical, environmental, and legal questions raised by this fascinating new field, Wray offers a captivating look at the best and worst of resurrection science. A captivating whirlwind tour through the birth and early life of the scientific idea known as "de-extinction."—Beth Shapiro, author of How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by The New Yorker and Science News What happens when you try to recreate a woolly mammothfascinating science, or conservation catastrophe? Jurassic Park meets The Sixth Extinction in Rise of the Necrofauna , a provocative look at de-extinction from acclaimed documentarist and science writer Britt Wray, PhD. In Rise of the Necrofauna , Wray takes us deep into the minds and labs of some of the worlds most progressive thinkers to find out. She introduces us to renowned futurists like Stewart Brand and scientists like George Church, who are harnessing the powers of CRISPR gene editing in the hopes of reviving extinct passenger pigeons, woolly mammoths, and heath hens. She speaks with Nikita Zimov, who together with his eclectic father Sergey, is creating Siberias Pleistocene Parka daring attempt to rebuild the mammoths ancient ecosystem in order to save earth from climate disaster. Through interviews with these and other thought leaders, Wray reveals the many incredible opportunities for research and conservation made possible by this emerging new field. But we also hear from more cautionary voices, like those of researcher and award-winning author Beth Shapiro ( How to Clone a Woolly Mammoth ) and environmental philosopher Thomas van Dooren. Writing with passion and perspective, Wray delves into the larger questions that come with this incredible new science, reminding us that de-extinction could bring just as many dangers as it does possibilities. What happens, for example, when we bring an unextinct creature back into the wild? How can we care for these strange animals and ensure their comfort and safetynot to mention our own? And what does de-extinction mean for those species that are currently endangered? Is it really ethical to bring back an extinct passenger pigeon, for example, when countless other birds today will face the same fate? By unpacking the many biological, technological, ethical, environmental, and legal questions raised by this fascinating new field, Wray offers a captivating look at the best and worst of resurrection science. Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute. What Happens When You Try To Recreate A Woolly Mammoth--fascinating Science, Or Conservation Catastrophe? In Rise Of The Necrofauna, Britt Wray Takes Us Deep Into The Minds And Labs Of Some Of The World's Most Progressive Thinkers To Find Out The Truth About De-extinction. She Introduces Us To Renowned Futurists Like Stewart Brand And Scientists Like George Church, Who Are Harnessing The Powers Of Crispr Gene Editing In The Hopes Of Reviving Extinct Passenger Pigeons, Woolly Mammoths, And Heath Hens. But We Also Hear From More Cautionary Voices, Like Those Of Researcher And Award-winning Author Beth Shapiro And Environmental Philosopher Thomas Van Dooren. Through Conversations With These And Other Thought Leaders, Wray Reminds Us That De-extinction Could Bring Just As Many Dangers As It Does Possibilities. What Happens, For Example, When We Bring An Unextinct Creature Back Into The Wild? How Can We Care For These Strange Animals And Ensure Their Comfort And Safety--not To Mention Our Own And That Of Other Creatures? By Unpacking The Many Biological, Technological, Ethical, Environmental, And Legal Questions Raised By This Fascinating New Field, Wray Offers A Captivating Look At The Best And Worst Of Resurrection Science.--jacket. Foreword / By George Church -- Introduction -- Chapter 1: How Is De-extinction Done? -- Chapter 2: Why Is De-extinction Important? -- Chapter 3: What Species Are Good Contenders, And Why? -- Chapter 4: Why Recreate The Woolly Mammoth? -- Chapter 5: Can Billions Of Passenger Pigeons Rebound, And Should They? -- Chapter 6: How Might We Regulate This New Wilderness? -- Chapter 7: Can De-extinction Save Species On The Brink? -- Chapter 8: Is Some Knowledge Too Dangerous? Britt Wray ; Foreword By George Church. David Suzuki Institute. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 269-283) And Index. Reproductive biology is more than the development of techniques for helping with too little or too much breeding. While some of the relevant techniques are useful for individual species, technical developments have to be backed up by thorough biological understanding of the background behind the problems. This book is therefore threefold; (1) it provides a snapshot of the state of the art in terms of species-specific reproductive technologies, whether for individual animals or whole taxonomic groups; (2) it sets the reproductive problems in context and emphasizes the links between animal-based problems and the wider world, e.g. reproductive fitness and (3) it looks forward and presents realistic assessments of how effective some of the more recently developed techniques in reproductive technology might be at combating extinctions. This is a wide-ranging book that will be relevant to anyone involved in reproductive biology or in species conservation and provides provide them some useful perspectives about the real utility of current and emerging technologies. It has contributions from experts in reproduction and related fields. Jurassic Park meets The Sixth Extinction in Rise of the Necrofauna, a provocative look at de-extinction from acclaimed documentarist and science writer Britt Wray. A captivating whirlwind tour through the birth and early life of the scientific idea known as "de-extinction."—Beth Shapiro, author of How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction What happens when you try to recreate a woolly mammoth—fascinating science, or conservation catastrophe? In Rise of the Necrofauna, Wray takes us deep into the minds and labs of some of the world's most progressive thinkers to find out. She introduces us to renowned futurists like Stewart Brand and scientists like George Church, who are harnessing the powers of CRISPR gene editing in the hopes of "reviving" extinct passenger pigeons, woolly mammoths, and heath hens. She speaks with Nikita Zimov, who together with his eclectic father Sergey, is creating Siberia's Pleistocene...