About the Book

A world-renowned paleontologist takes readers all over the globe to reveal a new science that trumps science fiction: how humans can re-create a dinosaur.
In movies, in novels, in comic strips, and on television, weave all seen dinosaursaor at least somebodyas educated guess of what they would look like. But what if it were possible to build, or grow, a real dinosaur, without finding ancient DNA? Jack Horner, the scientist who advised Steven Spielberg on "Jurassic Park," and a pioneer in bringing paleontology into the twenty-first century, teams up with the editor of "The New York Times, /I>as Science Times section to reveal exactly whatas in store.
In the 1980s, Horner began using CAT scans to look inside fossilized dinosaur eggs, and he and his colleagues have been delving deeper ever since. At North Carolina State University, Mary Schweitzer has extracted fossil moleculesaproteins that survived 68 million yearsafrom a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil excavated by Horner. These proteins show that T. rex and the modern chicken are kissing cousins. At McGill University, Hans Larsson is manipulating a chicken embryo to awaken the dinosaur within: starting by growing a tail and eventually prompting it to grow the forelimbs of a dinosaur. All of this is happening without changing a single gene.
This incredible research is leading to discoveries and applications so profound theyare scary in the power they confer on humanity. "How to Build a Dinosaur" is a tour of the hot rocky deserts and air-conditioned laboratories at the forefront of this scientific revolution.

Product Details

Media: Hardcover Book, 246 pages

Language: English

Publisher: Dutton Books (Apr. 30th, 2009)

ISBN-10: 0525951040

ISBN-13: 9780525951049

Dimensions: 5.74 x 8.60 x 0.97 inches

Shipping Weight: 0.90 lbs

• Categories: Paleontology