The Weekly Anthropocene Interviews: Ben Novak, De-Extinction Biologist working to Bring Back Passenger Pigeons
A Scientist Spotlight Interview
The Weekly Anthropocene interviewed Ben Novak of Revive & Restore, a cutting-edge de-extinction biology organization, in 2019. The interview is now republished, with new graphics and the latest updates, for Substack!
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Ben Novak is an ecologist and currently one of the only practicing “deextinction biologists” in the world. He is the head of the Revive & Restore Foundation’s pioneering Passenger Pigeon De-Extinction Project, which seeks to create birds fulfilling the ecological function of the extinct passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius). Mr. Novak and his team have sequencing DNA from ancient passenger pigeon museum specimens (like the ones pictured) and are working to edit that DNA's code into the germ line of some of their closest living relatives, the band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) in order to create passenger pigeon-like organisms. Mr. Novak recently developed egg-manipula…
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