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12-foot bird has been gone for 600 years — now scientists want to ‘de-extinct' it
12-foot bird has been gone for 600 years — now scientists want to ‘de-extinct' it

New York Post

timea day ago

  • Science
  • New York Post

12-foot bird has been gone for 600 years — now scientists want to ‘de-extinct' it

The real big bird returns. A company that claims to have resurrected the dire wolf has unveiled plans to bring back the moa, a long-extinct bird that once towered over people. The company, Colossal Biosciences, claimed it had joined forces with acclaimed 'Lord Of The Rings' director Sir Peter Jackson to de-extinct the ancient avian, the largest species of which stood 12-feet tall and weighed more than 500 pounds, Time reported. This flightless bird reportedly inhabited New Zealand until getting hunted to extinction by Māori settlers around 600 years ago, Livescience reported. Coordinating the ambitious de-extinction campaign is the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, between the main Māori tribe (iwi) on NZ's South Island and the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. 3 An upland moa skeleton. 'There's a lot of science still to be done – but we can start looking forward to the day when birds like the moa or the huia (an extinct NZ bird with a curved bill) are rescued from the darkness of extinction,' said Sir Peter Jackson. 'Even the journey will bring incredible insights about the history of this land and enrich discussions as to the potential nature of our future here.' Museum of New Zealand 'Some of those iconic species that feature in our tribal mythology, our storytelling, are very near and dear to us,' explained Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, who is collaborating on the moa's second coming. 'Participation in scientific research, species management, and conservation has been a large part of our activities.' Jackson, an investor in Colossal who helped bring the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre into the fold, explained that the proposed de-extinction is part of efforts to ensure that 'some of the most critically endangered species in Aotearoa/New Zealand are protected for future generations.' Unfortunately, resurrecting the moa will be quite a bit more difficult than bringing his fantasy creatures to life on the big screen. Experts analogized the process to that of the dire wolf, a long-dead species of canid that scientists resurrected by harvesting DNA from fossil specimens and then filling in the genetic gap with a gray wolf genome — like how frog DNA was used to engineer dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park.' Bringing back the moa is decidedly more challenging as the moa is far more removed from its closest living relatives, emus and a chicken-like bird called the tinamou, than the dire wolf is from the gray wolf. Whereas dire wolves only split from modern wolf-like canids — the group that includes gray wolves — around 5.7 million years ago, the common ancestor of the moa and tinamou lived 58 million years ago, while the moa and emu predecessor lived 65 million years ago. During their 'time apart,' the moa developed a lot of unique traits that are difficult to duplicate. 3 Colossal Biosciences is currently working to resurrect the woolly mammoth as well. Courtesy of Colossal To achieve this feat of genetic engineering, the team plans to aims to sequence and reconstruct the genomes of all nine extinct moa species, while also sequencing high-quality genomes of their aforementioned relatives. The team will then use precursors to sperm and egg cells to Frankenstein a 'surrogate bird' from living species and then genetically alter it to resemble a moa. They plan to introduce the edited calls into the embryonic tinamou or emu inside an egg, after which the cells will hopefully migrate to the embryo's gonads, changing them so that the females produce eggs and the males produce moa sperm. In theory, that hatchling will then grow up, mate and produce moa chicks. As of yet, the team is still in the process of selecting said surrogate, although the emu's size — they can grow up to 6 feet 2 inches tall — makes it a more suitable surrogate than the comparatively runty tinamou, per the researchers. 3 Colossal Biosciences 'brought back' dire wolves using a primordial stew with gray wolf DNA. Colossal Biosciences / Business Wire Unfortunately, the moa egg is also a lot bigger than an emu egg, so this could present another challenge if they were to use the latter as the incubation chamber in which to hatch the hybrid bird. 'A South Island giant moa egg will not fit inside an emu surrogate, so Colossal will have to develop artificial surrogate egg technology,' said Nic Rawlence, director of the Otago Palaeogenetics Lab at the University of Otago in New Zealand and a critic of the moa plan. Colossal's chief science officer, Beth Shapiro explained that they're exploring 'different strategies for artificial egg incubation, which will have application both for moa de-extinction and bird conservation work.' Of course, there are several criticisms of the project that were directed at prior resurrection campaigns as well. Critics of the dire wolf project claimed that their so-called dire wolf was still genetically a gray wolf with increased size and a white coat. Rawlence even believes that 'genetically engineering specific genes in an emu to match a moa could have dire developmental consequences.' Beth Shapiro told Live Science that animal welfare was a priority, explaining, 'We thoroughly evaluate health risks of any proposed edit before selecting them for our final list of edits.' Jackson believes the project has exciting potential when it comes to reviving lost species. 'There's a lot of science still to be done – but we can start looking forward to the day when birds like the moa or the huia (an extinct NZ bird with a curved bill) are rescued from the darkness of extinction,' he said. 'Even the journey will bring incredible insights about the history of this land and enrich discussions as to the potential nature of our future here.' The moa isn't the only animal Colossal plans to add to its menagerie of long-dead creatures. The biotech firm has also targeted the woolly mammoth for de-extinction — and is a step closer to its goal after engineering a critter called the woolly mouse.

The hows, whys and WTFs of bringing the moa back from the dead
The hows, whys and WTFs of bringing the moa back from the dead

The Spinoff

time6 days ago

  • Science
  • The Spinoff

The hows, whys and WTFs of bringing the moa back from the dead

What do Peter Jackson, an iwi research centre and a Texas-based biotech firm have in common? They're working together on plans to 'de-extinct' Aotearoa's famous giant bird. Mirjam Guesgen explains what's going on. The internet is fluttering with the news that a Texas-based company will bring back moa in Aotearoa – birds that haven't been seen in some 600 years. Colossal Biosciences – the biotech firm that earlier this year announced it had resurrected the dire wolf – says it's planning to de-extinct moa within five to 10 years together with the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury and financial backing from filmmaker Peter Jackson. But while the online crowd is pecking at the shell with excitement, the same can't be said for some of the scientific community. So what's the plan? Why do it? And why has the announcement ruffled the feathers of some scientists? Is it even possible? Kinda. The biggest hangup that many scientists who have been interviewed have with the project is that it's not true de-extinction. 'Any end result will not, cannot be, a moa,' zoology professor emeritus Philip Seddon from the University of Otago told RNZ. This comes down to semantics but, to be fair, Colossal does have a track record of over-hyping its achievements. De-extinction as defined in lay circles means either recreating an organism that's extinct or creating one that resembles it. Colossal, however, has its own definition, which it dubs functional de-extinction: 'The process of generating an organism that both resembles and is genetically similar to an extinct species by resurrecting its lost lineage of core genes; engineering natural resistances; and enhancing adaptability that will allow it to thrive in today's environment of climate change, dwindling resources, disease and human interference.' In short, creating a super-charged, modern version of an extinct animal. Anyone else having Jurassic World flashbacks? So how would they do it? The way we tend to think of de-extinction is a kind of cloning. Take DNA from an extinct species, copy it, pop it into a living surrogate animal and ba-da-bing! A walking, roaring animal, once extinct, is born. Colossal's approach is different. They'll take DNA from moa bones and compare the genetic code to that of a closely related, living species. From there, they'll genetically engineer the genes of the related species to have some of the most 'moa-y' bits. This is what they did with the dire wolf, where they made 20 changes to 14 grey wolf genes. But unlike the dire wolf, moa are a bit more complex. Moa is actually the name for a group of species – somewhere between nine and 64 of them. So that DNA they're taking isn't from one animal, it's from ' multiple ' (how many is unclear). The company will use those samples to understand what genetic changes give moas their moa-ness like large size or lack of wings. Second, in the case of the dire wolf, the grey wolf served as both the template DNA and the surrogate. But moa's closest living relative is a (rather elegant) small, kind-of-weka/quail-looking bird called the elegant crested tinamou. Although its genetic goods fit the bill for gene editing, its small size means it won't fly as a surrogate. Instead, Colossal will likely use an emu. It's important to have the right bird for the job because, if your goal is to create a kind of extinct-extant hybrid, then you want something as close as genetically possible for your base. On the other hand, having a chihuahua give birth to a great dane (so to speak) isn't good for anyone. Why do it… or not There's the obvious cool factor of seeing a creature that's been gone for more than 600 years. Peter Jackson himself is known for being somewhat obsessed with the birds, amassing the biggest private collection of bones anywhere. In a PR video for Colossal, he says 'we're not at the point where being extinct isn't really the end of the story'. But there are other, scientific reasons for de-extinction. In fact, the IUCN (the global authority on conservation) outlines several defensible reasons for doing it. One is to restore lost biodiversity and, in doing so, potentially protect other species who rely on this organism. That seems to be Colossal's main driver too. They're trying to undo the bad that we humans have done to other creatures on the planet or, as their website puts it, 'restoring the past, preserving the present and safeguarding the future'. That goal in itself isn't limited to extinct animals. Scientists are already using ancient DNA to bring back species on the verge of extinction – like the northern white rhino or a Mongolian wild horse called Przewalski's horse. The often-touted counter argument is that de-extinction takes the focus away from the conservation situation in front of us. Palaeontologist Nic Rawlence of Otago University told the NZ Herald: 'I think the money's much better spent conserving animals that we've got left.' Just bringing something back doesn't address the root cause of why these animals went away in the first place – and why other animals are endangered – aka habitat loss, climate change, pollution or poaching. But Matt James, chief animal officer at Colossal, says it's not a one-or-the-other scenario. 'What's great about de-extinction is that it acts as an engine to drive conservation action that benefits not just the moa but other native species,' he said. Aotearoa collaborators have hinted that there'll be a modern bird reintroduction element to the project, but haven't released any details yet. 'De-extincted species coupled with reintroductions of extant endangered taonga species will achieve ecological restorations of an immensely higher magnitude,' said Kyle Davis (Ngāi Tahu) of the Paenga Kupenga Centre. The company hopes too that by exploring ancient moa DNA, they'll be able to find clues about how to make the de-extincted and living creatures more resilient to diseases or our warming planet. 'Along the way you've learned all these things you need to know to salvage populations that haven't gone extinct yet,' bioethicist and Colossal adviser Alta Charo said in a video by Colossal. When Colossal researchers poked around in the woolly mammoth genome for example, they uncovered new information about elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses disease that affects modern elephants. In other cases, studying ancient DNA from our ancestors and other extinct organisms has allowed scientists to understand today's diseases like multiple sclerosis. Into the unknown… There's a lot that's still undiscovered when it comes to de-extinction. That's part of the scientific appeal. But that also comes with risk. Robert Klitzman, professor of psychiatry and director of the bioethics master's programme at Columbia University, suggested in Time magazine that the animals involved in surrogacy might suffer. 'There's a risk of death. There's a risk of side effects that are severe,' he said. How much suffering is involved in figuring out the genetics of de-extinction is up for debate. And say the process works. You've got yourself a living moa-hybrid. Now where do you put it? The habitat where moa lived and the plants that it ate don't exist any more. Maybe this isn't such an issue with a hybrid, if it has a lot of the physiology of a tinamou, but it's still an issue of space. The dire wolf hybrids are currently living their lives in a secret 2,000-acre ecological preserve. The eventual home of moa isn't decided but in a PR video, Peter Jackson describes putting moa 'into the natural environment as big as we possibly can', gesturing to some open farmland dotted with trees in the background. It's an intriguing proposition: seeing moa roaming in the fields. What will it look like? Time will tell.

‘Lord of the Rings' director backs idea to revive New Zealand's moa
‘Lord of the Rings' director backs idea to revive New Zealand's moa

The Hindu

time14-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • The Hindu

‘Lord of the Rings' director backs idea to revive New Zealand's moa

Filmmaker Peter Jackson owns one of the largest private collections of bones of an extinct New Zealand bird called the moa. His fascination with the flightless ostrich-like bird has led to an unusual partnership with a biotech company known for its grand and controversial plans to bring back lost species. On July 8, Colossal Biosciences announced an effort to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa – which once stood 3.6 m tall – with $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh. The collaboration also includes the New Zealand-based Ngāi Tahu Research Centre. 'The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do,' said Jackson. 'Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa.' Outside scientists say the idea of bringing back extinct species onto the modern landscape is likely impossible, although it may be feasible to tweak the genes of living animals to have similar physical traits. Scientists have mixed feelings on whether that will be helpful, and some worry that focusing on lost creatures could distract from protecting species that still exist. The moa had roamed New Zealand for 4,000 years until they became extinct around 600 years ago, mainly because of overhunting. A large skeleton brought to England in the 19th century, now on display at the Yorkshire Museum, prompted international interest in the long-necked bird. Unlike Colossal's work with dire wolves, the moa project is in very early stages. It started with a phone call about two years ago after Jackson heard about the company's efforts to 'de-extinct' – or create genetically similar animals to – species like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf. Then Jackson put Colossal in touch with experts he'd met through his own moa bone-collecting. At that point, he'd amassed between 300 and 400 bones, he said. In New Zealand, it's legal to buy and sell moa bones found on private lands, but not on public conservation areas – nor to export them. The first stage of the moa project will be to identify well-preserved bones from which it may be possible to extract DNA, said Colossal's chief scientist Beth Shapiro. Those DNA sequences will be compared to genomes of living bird species, including the ground-dwelling tinamou and emu, 'to figure out what it is that made the moa unique compared to other birds,' she said. Colossal used a similar process of comparing ancient DNA of extinct dire wolves to determine the genetic differences with gray wolves. Then scientists took blood cells from a living gray wolf and used CRISPR to genetically modify them in 20 different sites. Pups with long white hair and muscular jaws were born late last year. Working with birds presents different challenges, said Shapiro. Unlike mammals, bird embryos develop inside eggs, so the process of transferring an embryo to a surrogate will not look like mammalian IVF. 'There's lots of different scientific hurdles that need to be overcome with any species that we pick as a candidate for de-extinction,' said Shapiro. 'We are in the very early stages.' If the Colossal team succeeds in creating a tall bird with huge feet and thick pointed claws resembling the moa, there's also the pressing question of where to put it, said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who is not involved in the project. 'Can you put a species back into the wild once you've exterminated it there?' he said. 'I think it's exceedingly unlikely that they could do this in any meaningful way.' 'This will be an extremely dangerous animal,' Pimm added. The direction of the project will be shaped by Māori scholars at the University of Canterbury's Ngāi Tahu Research Centre. Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, an expert in moa bones, said the work has 'really reinvigorated the interest in examining our own traditions and mythology.' At one of the archaeological sites that Jackson and Davis visited to study moa remains, called Pyramid Valley, there are also antique rock art done by Māori people – some depicting moa before their extinction. Paul Scofield, a project adviser and senior curator of natural history at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, said he first met the 'Lord of the Rings' director when he went to his house to help him identity which of the nine known species of moa the various bones represented. 'He doesn't just collect some moa bones – he has a comprehensive collection,' said Scofield.

Filmmaker joins biotech effort to bring back extinct giant bird
Filmmaker joins biotech effort to bring back extinct giant bird

Malaysia Sun

time13-07-2025

  • Science
  • Malaysia Sun

Filmmaker joins biotech effort to bring back extinct giant bird

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa has led to a surprising new partnership with U.S.-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences, which aims to bring back extinct species through genetic engineering Jackson, best known for directing The Lord of the Rings , owns one of the world's largest private collections of bones from the moa. This week, Colossal announced a new project to re-create a bird resembling the South Island giant moa, a towering creature that once stood up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall. The project has received US$15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh and includes collaboration with New Zealand's Ngāi Tahu Research Centre. "The movies are my day job; the moa are my fun thing," Jackson said. "Every New Zealand schoolchild grows up fascinated by the moa." While scientists doubt extinct animals can be truly brought back, some believe it's possible to alter existing species to resemble them genetically. Still, there are concerns that efforts like this may take attention and resources away from conserving living endangered species. Moa lived in New Zealand for thousands of years before being hunted to extinction about 600 years ago. International interest in the bird spiked in the 19th century when a complete skeleton was sent to England, now housed in the Yorkshire Museum. Jackson became involved with Colossal after learning of its efforts to "de-extinct" species like the woolly mammoth and dire wolf. He connected the company with scientists he had met through his collection of 300 to 400 moa bones. In New Zealand, moa bones can be traded if found on private land, but cannot be exported or taken from public conservation areas. The project's first step is to identify well-preserved moa bones that may contain extractable DNA, said Colossal's chief scientist, Beth Shapiro. The DNA will be compared with that of living ground-dwelling birds like the emu and tinamou to determine what made the moa unique. Shapiro said re-creating a bird is harder than re-creating a mammal because birds develop inside eggs. Applying techniques like CRISPR to avian embryos faces scientific hurdles. Even if a moa-like bird is created, Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm questioned its viability. "Where would you put it?" he asked, noting the challenges of reintroducing extinct species. "This would be a very dangerous animal." Ngāi Tahu researchers are helping guide the project, linking it to Māori traditions and heritage. Moa bones and ancient Māori rock art at sites like Pyramid Valley add cultural depth to the work. "He doesn't just collect moa bones," said Canterbury Museum curator Paul Scofield. "He has a comprehensive collection."

Filmmaker partners with Colossal Biosciences to recreate lost species
Filmmaker partners with Colossal Biosciences to recreate lost species

Canada News.Net

time13-07-2025

  • Science
  • Canada News.Net

Filmmaker partners with Colossal Biosciences to recreate lost species

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa has led to a surprising new partnership with U.S.-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences, which aims to bring back extinct species through genetic engineering Jackson, best known for directing The Lord of the Rings, owns one of the world's largest private collections of bones from the moa. This week, Colossal announced a new project to re-create a bird resembling the South Island giant moa, a towering creature that once stood up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall. The project has received US$15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh and includes collaboration with New Zealand's Ngāi Tahu Research Centre. "The movies are my day job; the moa are my fun thing," Jackson said. "Every New Zealand schoolchild grows up fascinated by the moa." While scientists doubt extinct animals can be truly brought back, some believe it's possible to alter existing species to resemble them genetically. Still, there are concerns that efforts like this may take attention and resources away from conserving living endangered species. Moa lived in New Zealand for thousands of years before being hunted to extinction about 600 years ago. International interest in the bird spiked in the 19th century when a complete skeleton was sent to England, now housed in the Yorkshire Museum. Jackson became involved with Colossal after learning of its efforts to "de-extinct" species like the woolly mammoth and dire wolf. He connected the company with scientists he had met through his collection of 300 to 400 moa bones. In New Zealand, moa bones can be traded if found on private land, but cannot be exported or taken from public conservation areas. The project's first step is to identify well-preserved moa bones that may contain extractable DNA, said Colossal's chief scientist, Beth Shapiro. The DNA will be compared with that of living ground-dwelling birds like the emu and tinamou to determine what made the moa unique. Shapiro said re-creating a bird is harder than re-creating a mammal because birds develop inside eggs. Applying techniques like CRISPR to avian embryos faces scientific hurdles. Even if a moa-like bird is created, Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm questioned its viability. "Where would you put it?" he asked, noting the challenges of reintroducing extinct species. "This would be a very dangerous animal." Ngāi Tahu researchers are helping guide the project, linking it to Māori traditions and heritage. Moa bones and ancient Māori rock art at sites like Pyramid Valley add cultural depth to the work. "He doesn't just collect moa bones," said Canterbury Museum curator Paul Scofield. "He has a comprehensive collection."

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