Dr. Amy Fletcher, associate professor of political science at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, will present “Bringing Back the Woolly Mammoth: De-Extinction and the Paleo-Future” at the next UT Science Forum Friday, April 10.
Can extinct animals be brought back? Should they be brought back? Dr. Fletcher’s talk will cover the debate about the possibility of bringing back the woolly mammoth via advanced biotechnologies. The development of technology to analyze and copy small fragments of ancient DNA has encouraged public and media fascination with the idea of “resurrecting” an extinct species. What are the political and cultural aspects of cloning these ancient species?
The UT Science Forum is a free, weekly lunch lecture series in the Thompson-Boling Arena Cafe, Rooms C-D on the University of Tennessee Campus. Each lecture begins at 12 p.m. and ends by 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.