For the last 18 months, a biotech firm called Colossal Biosciences has been in the news for its bold endeavor to use genetic technology to revive two extinct species: the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine. The company has now included the dodo bird in its list of species it aims to de-extinct.
The Dodo May Be Coming Back
Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s lead paleogeneticist, says that she has been fascinated by the dodo for a long time. Colossal aims to use genetic editing to recreate a species that can play the same ecological role as the extinct dodo, which was driven to extinction by human activities. Colossal plans to edit genes from the dodo’s closest living relatives to achieve this.
Scientists have a long way to go in terms of developing the genetic processes required to bring back extinct animals such as the dodo, mammoth, or thylacine. Additionally, some researchers are skeptical about the company’s ability to succeed in their efforts, with one evolutionary biologist calling de-extinction a fairytale science and suggesting that the focus is more on media attention than serious scientific work.
De-Extinction Causes Controversy
Scientists plan to edit genes from the Nicobar pigeon to recreate a version of the extinct dodo. They have sequenced the dodo’s genome from ancient DNA and intend to use the germ cells from a pigeon egg to create an animal with dodo-like genes, though this process is still uncharted territory.
McGrew from the University of Edinburgh and a member of Colossal’s scientific advisory board explains that transitioning from editing chicken species to editing other bird species is the most difficult aspect of the project. Even if a dodo-like animal can be created, it may not behave like a dodo as there are no others from which to learn. Sinding from the University of Copenhagen notes that the proxy bird would have to figure out how to survive on its own.
Colossal would need to find a suitable habitat for a new species that they create, which would not truly be a dodo but would still require an appropriate environment in which to live. Colossal’s founder argues that removing invasive species from Mauritius and reintroducing the bird to its natural habitat could restore the ecosystem and provide conservation benefits. Dr. Shapiro adds that this project will aid in the restoration of the ecosystems that the dodo was once a part of.
Investor In-Q-Tel suggests that de-extinction could advance gene-editing tech for healthcare and food security beyond mammoths. Dr. Shapiro suggests applying gene editing to birds for resilience. Colossal raised $225m, but some scientists disagree with funding de-extinction over other conservation issues.