The Red Canary : The Story of the First Genetically Engineered Animal - Softcover

Tim Birkhead

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753817721 ISBN 13: 9780753817728

Publisher: Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )

Synopsis

Behavioral ecologist Tim Birkhead describes how the rather plain but sweet-voiced green bird that was discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1300s became a craze in Renaissance Europe, how breeders gradually turned its green plumage to yellow, how Duncker and Reich combined genetic science with bird-breeding lore to produce an almost-red canary, and how British breeders were finally able to successfully produce a red canary in the 1960s. But more than just a fascinating account, this story marks a scientific turning point: this was the first instance of plucking specific genes from one creature and incorporating them into another.

About this title

About the Author

Tim Birkhead is Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Sheffield. He has been President of the International Society of Behavioural Ecology, is a member of the Darwin Correspondence Project committee and he regularly contributes to radio and science television programmes, newspapers and magazines.

Review

Rich in historical detail, studded with curious characters - some of them human - and brimming with scientific insights. The Red Canary reads like a fine novel * Matt Ridley * Takes a small episode from history and draws a surprisingly important lesson from it, in an elegant and diverting way * Sunday Telegraph * His grasp of the science involved is to be expected from a professor of behaviour and evolution. What is more surprising is his capacity to make it not just comprehensible but fascinating, but making his own genetic cross of science, philosophy, history, sociology and narrative * New Statesman *

Edition details

• Publisher: Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0753817721
• ISBN 13: 9780753817728
• Binding: Paperback