by Helen Pilcher (Author)
In this post-natural history guide, Helen Pilcher invites us to meet key species that have been sculpted by humanity.
We
are now living through the post-natural phase, where the fate of all
living things is irrevocably intertwined with our own. We domesticated
animals to suit our needs, and altered their DNA--wolves became dogs to
help us hunt, junglefowl became chickens to provide us with eggs,
wildebeest were transformed through breeding into golden gnus so
rifle-clad tourists had something to shoot. And this was only the
beginning. As our knowledge grew we found new ways to tailor the DNA of
animals more precisely; we've now cloned police dogs and created a
little glow-in-the-dark fish--the world's first genetically modified
pet. The breakthroughs continue.
Through climate change, humans
have now affected even the most remote environments and their
inhabitants, and studies suggest that through our actions we are forcing
some animals to evolve at breakneck speed to survive. Whilst some are
thriving, others are on the brink of extinction, and for others the only
option is life in captivity. Today, it's not just the fittest that
survive; sometimes it's the ones we decide to let live.
According
to the Bible, Noah built the original ark to save the world's creatures
from imminent floods. Now the world is warming, the ice caps are melting
and sea levels are rising. With nowhere "wild" left to go, Helen
Pilcher proposes a New Ark. In this entertaining and thought-provoking
book, she considers the many ways that we've shaped the DNA of the
animal kingdom and in so doing, altered the fate of life on earth. In
her post-natural history guide, she invites us to meet key species that
have been sculpted by humanity, as well as the researchers and
conservationists who create, manage and tend to these post-natural
creations.
