Science & Technology

Scientists are using stem cell technology to 'de-extinct' the dodo

By T.K. Randall
February 19, 2024

Image: Dodos at the Natural History Museum in London
Credit: Txllxt TxllxT / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) This iconic flightless bird, which once inhabited the island of Mauritius, is perhaps the best known example of a species hunted to extinction by man - a creature that has since become synonymous with the idea that our activities on this planet can have dire consequences for other species.

The first reported encounter with a dodo was by Dutch sailors in 1598 and by 1662 the species had been completely wiped out due to hunting and the destruction of its habitat.

Now, though, Texas-based startup Colossal Biosciences is hoping to turn back the clock by using a combination of stem cell technology and genome editing to bring the dodo back to life.

They are so optimistic, in fact, that they have even partnered with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation to find their new flock of live dodos a place to live in their natural habitat.

To 'de-extinct' the birds, the firm plans to modify the DNA of its closest living relative - the Nicobar pigeon - and combine it with the preserved DNA of an actual dodo.The genome is then inserted into a live pigeon egg and zapped with electricity.

The resulting embryo would then be brought to term, resulting in an actual living dodo.

"The dodo, a bird intimately woven in the DNA of Mauritius, is also sadly iconic for the role mankind played in its extinction," said Vikash Tatayah, director of conservation at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation.

"It also symbolizes efforts to prevent species extinctions."

"We are so grateful for Colossal's technologies and the promise to return this iconic species, extinct since the 1680s, to its native environment."

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Dodo