Photo: PopTech from Camden, Maine and Brooklyn, NY, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Beth Shapiro, born on January 14, 1976 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States, is a zoologist, archaeologist and non-fiction writer. As of 2026, Beth Shapiro is 50 years old. Schooling on record includes University of Georgia. Listed accolades include MacArthur Fellows Program (2009), Rhodes Scholarship (1999), Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering (2010) and 1 more. Credited works include How to Clone a Mammoth.
My Take
Beth Shapiro is one of those scientists who makes the work feel like an adventure. As an evolutionary molecular biologist and a leader in ancient DNA, she literally wrote How to Clone a Mammoth, turning extinction and genomics into something the public can dream about. A Rhodes Scholar and MacArthur Fellow, her credentials are beyond question, but that's not what hooks me. What I admire is the sheer reach of her curiosity, the audacity of trying to read life that vanished millennia ago. She proves that rigorous science and genuine wonder aren't opposites. People like her keep the field exciting and human.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Beth Shapiro
- Name (Japanese)
- ベス・シャピロ
- Reading
- べす・しゃぴろ
- Born
- January 14, 1976 (age 50)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Dragon
- Origin
- Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States
- Occupation
- zoologist / archaeologist / non-fiction writer / biologist
2. Background
- University
- University of Georgia
Awards & achievements
- 2009 MacArthur Fellows Program
- 1999 Rhodes Scholarship
- 2010 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering
- 2023 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | How to Clone a Mammoth | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://pgl.soe.ucsc.edu
- Xhttps://x.com/bonesandbugs
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beth%20Shapiro
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q831152
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Beth Shapiro born?
Born January 14, 1976 (age 50).
Where is Beth Shapiro from?
Beth Shapiro is from Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States.
What does Beth Shapiro do?
Beth Shapiro works as zoologist, archaeologist, non-fiction writer, biologist.
What is Beth Shapiro known for?
Notable works include How to Clone a Mammoth.