Dodo back to life? Scientists are working on bringing the bird back from extinction
1 February 2023, 12:54
Dodo bird could be brought back from extinction
A team of scientists is set to roll back the evolutionary clock and resurrect the Dodo before releasing it back into the wild.
But after more than 400 years since the last recorded sighting of the bird, scientists are hoping to spark a Jurassic Park-style comeback.
US-based firm Colossal Biosciences, which two years ago announced plans to bring back the woolly mammoth, said it now wants to bring back the iconic bird as well.
The firm, based in Dallas, Texas, has already raised an additional $150m (£121m) to support the project.
Speaking to Andrew Marr the lead scientist Beth Sharpiro, from Colossal said: “It is not possible to bring something back that is identical to a species that is actually extinct, but using modern bio-technologies, it is possible to get pretty close.”
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The company hopes it can recreate the dodo through DNA - much like the fictional experts in the 1993 Steven Spielberg film.
Using DNA from dead Dodos and the DNA sequences of a Nicobar pigeon, the “closest living relative” experts are aware of, they hope to bring the species back from the dead.
The paleogeneticist explained that modern gene editing technologies will then “gradually transform” the nicobar pigeon into something that is “functionally similar” to what a dodo used to be.
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Colossal is also working on bringing back the woolly mammoth and Tasmanian tiger.
Ben Lamm, co-founder and chief executive of the company, added that de-extinction projects are “long and hard”, and “don’t happen in an academic lab overnight”.
He said the company was aware from “day one” that this would be an extensive process, as they started 18 months ago and the gestation period for elephants is 22 months. They expect to have some kind of “proxy” 2028.
Ms Shapiro said this technological solution to extinction has created “excitement and enthusiasm” and “new approaches to conservation”, which she described as “beautiful”.
However, she said it could also reveal something “awful” about people not caring as much about the “extinction crisis” as they are not personally impacted by it, and may care even less if the expertise is there to essentially bring extinct creatures back to life.
Andrew Marr joked: “I hope one day you’re able to bring back really really ethical, well behaved politicians, but that might be going too far.”
