Enhanced with unusual and informative illustrations, biologist David Dalton s new book reexamines Lewis and Clark s observations of the new plants and animals they encountered in the light of modern science. He shows how advances like DNA research, modern understanding of proteins, and the latest laboratory methods shed new light on the expedition s findings. Introducing the tools and techniques of today s science in a way that won t intimidate nonspecialist readers, he expertly balances botanical and zoological information, with coverage ranging from the extinction of large animals in North America a few thousand years ago to the expected effects of invasive species and climate change in the coming centuries.