'Extremely dangerous' extinct bird could be brought back to life
A giant, flightless bird that once roamed New Zealand and disappeared around 600 years ago could be brought back from extinction.
Imagine the possibility of resurrecting a species long thought to be permanently erased from our planet. A massive, flightless bird that vanished from New Zealand around 600 years ago might soon take wing again, thanks to a Texas-based biotech firm and an iconic filmmaker.
Peter Jackson, famed director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, possesses one of the most extensive private collections of moa bones—an extinct bird native to New Zealand. His passion for the large, flightless bird akin to an ostrich has sparked an extraordinary collaboration with Colossal Biosciences, a company known for its ambitious and sometimes contentious projects to revive extinct species.
On Tuesday, Colossal Biosciences declared their initiative to genetically recreate the South Island giant moa, which towered at 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall, backed by $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh. The venture also involves the New Zealand-based Ngāi Tahu Research Centre.
"The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do," Jackson remarked. "Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa."
However, external scientists argue that reintroducing extinct species into today's environment is likely unattainable, though it might be possible to alter the genes of existing animals to mimic certain characteristics. There's a divide among scientists about the benefits of such endeavors, with some expressing concern that this focus on extinct species could overshadow efforts to conserve those that are still with us.
The moa, a long-necked bird that inhabited New Zealand for 4,000 years before going extinct around 600 years ago due to overhunting, has sparked international interest. A large skeleton brought to England in the 19th century is currently on display at the Yorkshire Museum.
Unlike Colossal's work with dire wolves, the moa project is still in its infancy. The initiative began about two years ago when Jackson learned of the company's efforts to "de-extinct" or genetically recreate species like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf.
Jackson then connected Colossal with experts he had met through his own collection of moa bones. He claims to have gathered between 300 and 400 bones.
In New Zealand, it's legal to buy and sell moa bones found on private lands, but not on public conservation areas, and exporting them is also prohibited.
The first phase of the moa project involves identifying well-preserved bones from which DNA might be extracted, according to Beth Shapiro, Colossal's chief scientist.
The DNA sequences will be compared to genomes of living bird species, including the ground-dwelling tinamou and emu, to determine what made the moa unique compared to other birds.
Colossal used a similar process to compare the ancient DNA of extinct dire wolves to identify genetic differences with gray wolves. Scientists then took blood cells from a living gray wolf and used CRISPR to genetically modify them in 20 different sites.
Bird de-extinction efforts pose unique hurdles, detailed by biologist Shapiro. Unlike mammals, birds grow within eggs, rendering mammal-like IVF ineffective for them.
Shapiro noted: "There's lots of different scientific hurdles that need to be overcome with any species that we pick as a candidate for de-extinction," and emphasized the nascent stage of their work: "We are in the very early stages."
Should Colossal succeed in reviving a giant bird akin to the moa, Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm pointed out the dilemma of habitat, pondering: "Can you put a species back into the wild once you've exterminated it there?" He expressed skepticism regarding rewilding efforts: "I think it's exceedingly unlikely that they could do this in any meaningful way."
Pimm also highlighted potential risks: "This will be an extremely dangerous animal."
