The Anthropocene defines the here-and-now time period on Earth of indelible (and possibly irreversible) human disturbance to the natural world, from habitat destruction and mass extinction to global climate change. To ameliorate and repair the damage that threatens the world's dwindling resources and our very existence, humanity is enacting massive interventions to fuse modern technologies with long established natural processes. Advances in genetic engineering have put us on the cusp of directly shaping the DNA of every living organism (including ourselves), as well as determining the evolution of completely novel species. The author invites the reader to explore how humans have manipulated the ancient forces of evolution and the future possibilities of genetic engineering for conservation and rewilding, de-extinction, and even the creation of viable populations of entirely new species. To entertain such possibilities of synthetic biology, he forces us to wrestle with the threats and ethical conundrums that surround the unintended consequences, as well as the values that humanity places on authenticity in nature. In so doing, this accessible and thought-provoking book explores the potential future of life on planet Earth.
Preface Part 1: The Hearts of Nature 1: Nature in the raw, and cooked 2: Selection, naturally and otherwise 3: Ancient forces 4: Evolution's racetracks 5: Evolutionary accelerants and speed bumps 6: Carjacking genetics 7: Genetic welding 8: On the origin of species 9: Do-it-yourself speciation 10: Ongoing evolutionary outcomes Part 2: Evolutionary Futures 11: How to evolve a dragon 12: Evolutionary engineering in the flesh 13: Nature, rewilded 14: When nature comes to call 15: Inspection by the department of health, safety, and ethics 16: When we become dragons 17: A midnight coterie of transcendent fauna
Asher D. Cutter is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto, Canada. A former Fulbright Scholar, Cutter trained at Tufts University, USA, James Cook University, Australia, the University of Arizona, USA, and the University of Edinburgh, UK. He authored the textbook A Primer of Molecular Population Genetics (2019) as well as nearly 100 scientific articles on the topics of genome evolution, population genetics, speciation, and the biology of Caenorhabditis nematode roundworms.
Reviews for Evolving Tomorrow: Genetic Engineering and the Evolutionary Future of the Anthropocene
Cutter presents us with a wonderfully stimulating book, elegantly weaving in personal narratives, natural history examples, and inspiring thought experiments. * Mohamed Noor, Professor of Biology and Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Duke University * This book is a must-read for anyone curious about the potential of genetic technologies to control the very fate of nature, itself. And if you happen to be someone who wants to build a dragon from scratch, then it's a good book for you, too! * Daniel Riskin, Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto Mississauga, TV Host, and Producer * An excellent primer for anyone hoping to understand how today's biotechnologies - and the way we choose to use them - have the power to change all of life on Earth. * Beth Shapiro, Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz. Author of How to Clone a Mammoth and Life As We Made It * A highly enjoyable and thought-provoking book about the ways in which timeless biological processes and ever more powerful human tinkering are, together, shaping the evolutionary future. * Rob Dunn, Professor, North Carolina State University *
