Ancient DNA

Ancient DNA research – the recovery of genetic material from long-dead organisms – is a discipline that developed from science fiction into a reality between the 1980s and today. Drawing on scientific, historical, and archival material, as well as original interviews with more than fifty researchers worldwide, Elizabeth Jones explores the field's formation and explains its relationship with the media by examining its close connection to de extinction, the science and technology of resurrecting extinct species. She reveals how the search for DNA from fossils flourished under the influence of intense press and public interest, particularly as this new line of research coincided with the book and movie Jurassic Park. Ancient DNA is the first historical and sociological account to trace the intimate interplay between science and celebrity in the rise of this new research field. As a result, Jones argues that ancient DNA research is more than a public-facing science: it is a celebrity science.