The Quest For Life In Amber (Helix Book)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 240 pages
• Published by: Basic Books October 24, 1995
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0201489287
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0201489286
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 13.4 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
George Poinar, an entomologist at UC-Berkeley, and Roberta Poinar, an electron microscopist there, began with an avocational interest in amber and a simple question about the possibility of cell preservation in fossils often found in the hardened resin. It was only coincidence, they maintain, that their 1991 discovery that the tissue of bees preserved in amber contained DNA 25-40 million years old closely fit the subject of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. Here the husband-and-wife team details how a hobby led to a compelling thesis, taking readers on a tour of the world's fossil amber beds from Scandinavian beaches to the Caribbean to Russia, Africa and New Zealand, offering bits of gemology, social history and molecular science. The likelihood of a Jurassic Park scenario playing out in real life remains firmly theoretical, the Poinars reiterate, in their engaging tale of an absorbing search. Photos.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
YA-The Poinars, an entomologist and an electron microscopist, respectively, investigate some scientific secrets. Their interest in amber began in the mid-1960s; together they roamed the world gathering samples and, in their laboratory, meticulously searched for ways to examine the stones in order to gather evidence about the ancient forests that produced them. The authors and their colleagues successfully extracted and preserved DNA strands that were over 100 million years old and disclosed exciting information about ancient life. This book illustrates the challenges scientists encounter in their work and how diverse groups within the scientific community can work together for common goals. One chapter addresses the question of cloning dinosaurs, and another treats scientific ideas expressed in the movie Jurassic Park. The final chapter discusses the implications for the future and the many new areas of research opening up. Young scientists will be excited by both the authors' adventure and the intriguing new field of ancient-DNA study.
Penny Stevens, Fairfax County Virginia Public Library
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.