Bringing Extinct Species Back to Life | Dr. Beth Shapiro
Summary
Andrew Huberman interviews Dr. Beth Shapiro, an evolutionary biologist and Chief Scientific Officer at Colossal Biosciences, about the science of de-extinction. They discuss how ancient DNA allows scientists to recreate extinct species like the dire wolf and wooly mammoth by engineering genetic changes into living relatives. The conversation explores the definition of species, the genetic legacy of Neanderthals in modern humans, and the ecological benefits of restoring keystone species to stabilize habitats. Shapiro also explains how these synthetic biology tools are being applied to preven…
Topics discussed
Introduction to de-extinction and ancient DNA
Taxonomy, species concepts, and bison vs buffalo
Neanderthal-human interbreeding and genetic legacy
Sponsor break and hybridization across species
Genetic drift, bear hybridization, and dog breeding
Neanderthal genes in modern humans and health impacts
Ancient DNA, plague history, and eye color evolution
Ethics of de-extinction and DNA preservation limits
Ecological roles of mammoths and permafrost
Sponsor break and synthetic biology for birds
Dodo bird, parthenogenesis, and sex determination
Mammoth genome, elephant relatives, and species definition
Creating the dire wolf and coat color genetics
Current dire wolf status and evolutionary biology
Regulations, invasive seeds, and ecosystem redundancy
Yellowstone wolves, thylacines, and conservation tech
Sponsor break and gene drives for mosquitoes
Gene drive safety, public perception, and dire wolf launch
Human gene editing ethics and CRISPR babies
Black-footed ferrets, inbreeding, and endangered status
Ferret cloning, plague, and Game of Thrones timing
Predicting ecosystem impacts and future of gene editing
Artificial wombs, education, and specialist focus
Red wolves, team structure, and communication
Guest's origin story: journalism to ancient DNA
Dinosaurs, mammoths, and closing remarks
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