Latest news with #NgāiTahu
Geek Tyrant
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Director Peter Jackson Joins the Mission to Bring Back the Extinct Giant Moa with Colossal Biosciences — GeekTyrant
Sir Peter Jackson is best known for bringing Middle-earth to life on the big screen, but now he's helping bring back from the giant moa from extinction. In a groundbreaking partnership, the Lord of the Rings filmmaker has teamed up with Colossal Biosciences and New Zealand's Ngāi Tahu Research Centre to resurrect the South Island Giant Moa, a massive flightless bird that once roamed New Zealand's forests and grasslands before vanishing over 600 years ago. Joining Jackson on this wild scientific journey are Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm and Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, who talked about how this unique collaboration came together, and what it means for science, culture, and the future of extinct species. Jackson, whose passion for prehistoric creatures dates back to childhood dreams of resurrecting dinosaurs, shared that his involvement began through filmmaker Michael Dougherty ( Godzilla: King of the Monsters ), who connected him with Lamm after making a documentary for Colossal. Jackson said: 'I did a Zoom call, met Ben, and I was disappointed in a way. Because I had a look at their website beforehand, and they were talking about bringing the Mammoth, the Dodo, and the Tasmanian Tiger [back], but there was no sign of the Moa. As soon as I got on the call with them, I said, 'Why not the Moa?'' Lamm, for his part, was thrilled to have Jackson (and Fran Walsh) on board, not just as supporters, but as key collaborators. 'Having someone like Peter involved, and Fran is amazing. Not only are they great investors and very thoughtful business people, but they also help us think through all these things. They've been incredible [and opened] up their homes to us.' Jackson and Walsh's personal bone collection turned out to be a crucial asset for Colossal's genetic reconstruction work. That led to connecting the company with the right people, including archaeologist Kyle Davis, who has deep cultural and scientific ties to the moa's legacy. Davis said: 'It's just one of those iconic lost species or lost environmental entities that captures the imagination. As a career archaeologist and environmentalist, the prospect of understanding those dynamics more to add to our own tribal story is very, very exciting.' Despite his deep involvement, Jackson isn't planning to direct a documentary on the moa project. For him, it's a passion project separate from his filmmaking life. As for what's next in Middle-earth, Jackson gave a quick update: 'The Hunt for Gollum, which is a Lord of the Rings-connected movie that Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, will direct. But we're working on the script and producing it. So that's something for next year. Yeah.' Resurrecting the giant moa may sound like something out of Jurassic Park, but this isn't fiction, it's real science, real collaboration, and a real chance to restore a lost part of the planet's ecosystem. More details you can watch the videos below from CBM.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Extinction may be no moa?
Most of us have lost someone dear. It's unhappily the way of things, that in the midst of life we are indeed in death. Who wouldn't give pots of money or anything they owned for even a short time more with a loved one who has died? Instead, we are left with the hurt and sorrow, the feeling we have lost part of ourselves. In the animal kingdom, whole orders and families of creatures have died out, many of them as a result of human behaviour. They have been killed by hunting and by introduced predators, and because we have destroyed their habitat directly by burning or through ongoing insidious changes to their food sources, including plant distribution, as a consequence of climate change. What if we could really bring these animals back somehow, rather than just in our minds? You might say we owe them that at least. Could we start with moa? That's the idea which has burst through into the media this week, courtesy of United States biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences, Ngāi Tahu, Canterbury Museum and film-maker Sir Peter Jackson. Through the use of genetic engineering and DNA in preserved moa remains, they believe South Island giant moa hatchlings could be restored to life in less than eight years. New Zealand has a shocking roll call of species which have become extinct since the first Polynesians arrived some time in the late 13th century. Those settlers were accompanied by the Pacific rat, kiore, which exterminated some bird species, and then Europeans arrived some 500 years later with their deadly cargo of stoats, ferrets, weasels, Norway rats and ship rats. New Zealand ornithologist Dr Richard Holdaway says during about 750 years of human settlement the number of vertebrate species has nearly halved, including the losses of one type of bat, more than 50 birds, three frogs and three lizards, and a freshwater fish. Moa were hunted to extinction by about the early 1400s. Prominent Catlins archaeologist Les Lockerbie proved that those early settlers from Polynesia were responsible for wiping out moa by discovering moa bones next to moa-bone fish-hook points, necklace reels and pendants in coastal excavations. This new plan to "de-extinct" moa has excited a great deal of attention. The idea would be that the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre would oversee the project and own the moa, to be kept on an ecological reserve. Sir Peter is cock-a-hoop at the prospect of success. He says it follows his long-held dream that many scientific wonders might become something more tangible during his lifetime. Paul Scofield, the Canterbury Museum's senior curator of natural history, is also excited about working with Colossal Biosciences, which is also trying to resurrect the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger and the woolly mammoth. Thousands of genes would be required to rebuild the bird's brain, feathers, eyesight and other characteristics. A related living species would then act as a genetic surrogate. However, a dose of reality has been injected into the scheme by University of Otago scientists, including paleogenetics laboratory director Assoc Prof Nic Rawlence. He points to Colossal's supposedly de-extincted dire wolf, which was actually a genetically engineered grey wolf. In the case of the moa, he believes they will simply be creating a GE emu or similar, which might look like a moa but may not function like one. There would also be serious ethical concerns. At least 500 individuals would be needed to avoid dangerous in-breeding — that is, if they are actually able to breed. As well, Prof Rawlence is questioning the level of iwi engagement. While carrying out genome-sequencing on the moa, scientists from the paleogenetics lab have found no appetite from individual rūnanga across the South Island to bring back moa. He says it might also be a better use of the company's technology to use genetic engineering to help strengthen and conserve animals now on the endangered list. We agree. There can be no doubting it would be absolutely incredible were moa to walk the earth again after more than 500 years. But energy, technology and money would be much better used in saving our endangered species right now, rather than attempting to reverse the arrow of time.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
It's 12ft tall, covered in feathers and has been extinct for 600 years – can the giant moa bird really be resurrected?
Standing more than three metres (10ft) high, the giant moa is the tallest bird known to have walked on Earth. For thousands of years, the wingless herbivore patrolled New Zealand, feasting on trees and shrubs, until the arrival of humans. Today, records of the enormous animal survive only in Māori oral histories, as well as thousands of discoveries of bone, mummified flesh and the odd feather. But this week, the US start-up Colossal Biosciences has announced that the giant moa has joined the woolly mammoth, dodo and thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, on its list of animals that it is trying to bring back from the dead. The announcement has provoked public excitement – and deep scepticism from many experts about whether it is possible to resurrect the bird, which disappeared a century after the arrival of early Polynesian settlers in New Zealand about 600 years ago. The Texas company says it is aiming to resurrect the extinct bird within five to 10 years, in partnership with the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre at New Zealand's University of Canterbury. Reportedly backed by US$15m (£11m) of funding from the Lord of the Rings film-maker Sir Peter Jackson, who is an investor in Colossal Biosciences and an avid moa bone collector, the project will try to 'de-extinct' the giant bird by harvesting DNA from fossils, then editing genes of its nearest surviving relatives, such as the emu. The genetically modified birds will be hatched out and released into enclosed 'rewilding sites', the company says. 'The hope that within a few years, we'll get to see a moa back again – that gives me more enjoyment and satisfaction that any film ever has,' says Jackson. As part of Colossal's announcement, the Māori archaeologist Kyle Davis says: 'Our earliest ancestors in this place lived alongside moa and our records, both archaeological and oral, contain knowledge about these birds and their environs. We relish the prospect of bringing that into dialogue with Colossal's cutting-edge science as part of a bold vision for ecological restoration.' This is the latest in a string of headline-grabbing claims by Colossal, which raised $200m in January on a $10bn valuation of the company. In April, Colossal claimed it had resurrected the dire wolf, a North American predator which has been extinct for about 13,000 years, with the birth of two grey wolves that had been genetically modified to have dire wolf characteristics. Weeks earlier, the company released photos of 'woolly mice', which had been genetically altered to have woolly mammoth traits as part of efforts to 'de-extinct' the giant herbivore by genetically modifying Asian elephants. The firm has also set its sights on bringing back the dodo, the Mauritian bird that was hunted to extinction by sailors in the 17th century. But Colossal's announcements are attracting growing scorn and concern from many researchers, who argue that claims of 'de-extinction' are false and a distraction from the ongoing rampant loss of biodiversity, with a million existing species at risk of disappearing. There are also concerns that these 'resurrected' hybrid species are designed for habitats and ecological niches that may no longer exist. Research published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution concluded that spending the limited resources available for saving nature on de-extinction could lead to net biodiversity loss. Aroha Te Pareake Mead, a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Policy Development Working Group on the use of Synthetic Biology in Conservation, says: 'De-extinction is a misnomer, a false promise, that is rooted more in ego than a genuine effort to conserve species. These are exercises in the egotistical delight in the theatrical production of 'discovery' devoid of ethical, environmental and cultural considerations. Bring the moa back? To where? To what quality of life? To roam freely?' Dr Tori Herridge, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Sheffield, who turned down an offer of joining Colossal Biosciences' advisory board, says the company's initiatives are best thought of as scientific experiments – rather than genuinely bringing back extinct species from thousands of years ago. 'Is de-extinction possible? No, it is not possible. What you could potentially do – we'll see – is create a genetically modified organism that may contain some appearance traits that are linked to a previously extinct species based on what we think they were like. Using the term 'de-extinction' allows us to skip over the hard questions. This is not bringing back the mammoth or the moa or the dodo, this is creating something new to create a change in an ecosystem,' she says. Herridge questions the deterministic view of genetics – highlighting that learned culture is a crucial part of a wild species. 'I don't think you're going to be able to create a something that is behaviourally a woolly mammoth just based on its genome. A lot of elephant behaviour is learned. We know there are problems with elephant behaviour once you remove a matriarch from a group,' she says. Colossal Biosciences says its work is helping to slow the rampant ongoing loss of biodiversity by returning functions lost to ecosystems when animals such as mammoth, moa and dodo go extinct. They point to excitement about how its techniques could help restore genetic diversity in endangered wildlife, helping species such as the American red wolf to avoid an extinction doom loop. A representative for the company said they strongly reject claims that de-extinction is not possible. Prof Andrew Pask, who is working on the moa project for Colossal, says the critics are wrong. 'For many of our living species on the brink of extinction, the damage has been done. They are in an extinction vortex where the population spirals to extinction. The single, only way out of this is by bringing back lost diversity into those species genome. This is what de-extinction technology can do,' he says. 'To say it is not possible is just not true. It is hard. It is complex. But we have all the tools to do it. If we re-engineer a genome that is 99.9% identical to a thylacine, a moa, a mammoth then that animal would be as similar to a moa and any two moas would be in that population.' But moa expert Nic Rawlence, an associate professor in ancient DNA at the University of Otago, says there is little chance of bringing the giant birds back from the dead. 'This is Jurassic Park with very low chance of success,' he says. 'If we think of the dire wolf, the genome is 2.5bn individual letters long. It's 99% identical to the grey wolf, so that's still significantly over a million differences, and they made only 20 changes to 14 genes. So, to say they've created a dire wolf is farcical. They've created a designer grey wolf. And that'll be the same with whatever they do with the moa.' Find more Age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
His precious: 'Lord of the Rings 'director Peter Jackson on mission to bring back extinct bird
One does not simply bring back an entire extinct bird species — at least, not without Peter Jackson's help. Colossal Biosciences announced on Tuesday that it had partnered with the Lord of the Rings director in an effort to genetically engineer birds that are similar to the lost South Island giant moa, AP reports. Jackson, an avid moa enthusiast with at least 300 bones in his collection, and his partner Fran Walsh have contributed $15 million in funding toward the revitalization of the species. 'The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do,' Jackson explained to the outlet. 'Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa.' One of the tallest bird species ever known to walk the Earth, the moa was a massive flightless bird similar to an ostrich that roamed New Zealand for 4,000 years. However, overhunting led the herbivores to go extinct roughly 600 years ago. Check out more from EW's , featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and diving into all the highlights from the year's best films, TV, and music. Now, Jackson and Colossal Biosciences, in association with New Zealand-based Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, are trying to bring the bird back. Beth Shapiro, Colossal's chief scientist, told AP that the first step in the project is finding moa bones that may still hold potential DNA. Once extracted, Shapiro explained that the moa's DNA will be compared to that of modern-day birds like the emu in order to properly 'figure out what it is that made the moa unique compared to other birds.' Colossal Biosciences used this practice in the past as part of its ongoing campaign to bring back the dire wolf. The biotech company has genetically altered three gray wolf puppies — named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi — that were born over the last year. The process of bringing back birds like the moa, however, is an entirely different ballgame because they are formed inside of an egg. 'There's lots of different scientific hurdles that need to be overcome with any species that we pick as a candidate for de-extinction,' Shapiro said. 'We are in the very early stages.' Now only time will tell if life, uh, finds a way. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
It's 12ft tall, covered in feathers and has been extinct for 600 years – can the giant moa bird really be resurrected?
Standing more than three metres (10ft) high, the giant moa is the tallest bird known to have walked on Earth. For thousands of years, the wingless herbivore patrolled New Zealand, feasting on trees and shrubs, until the arrival of humans. Today, records of the enormous animal survive only in Māori oral histories, as well as thousands of discoveries of bone, mummified flesh and the odd feather. But this week, the US start-up Colossal Biosciences has announced that the giant moa has joined the woolly mammoth, dodo and thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, on its list of animals that it is trying to bring back from the dead. The announcement has provoked public excitement – and deep scepticism from many experts about whether it is possible to resurrect the bird, which disappeared a century after the arrival of early Polynesian settlers in New Zealand about 600 years ago. The Texas company says it is aiming to resurrect the extinct bird within five to 10 years, in partnership with the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre at New Zealand's University of Canterbury. Reportedly backed by US$15m (£11m) of funding from the Lord of the Rings film-maker Sir Peter Jackson, who is an investor in Colossal Biosciences and an avid moa bone collector, the project will try to 'de-extinct' the giant bird by harvesting DNA from fossils, then editing genes of its nearest surviving relatives, such as the emu. The genetically modified birds will be hatched out and released into enclosed 'rewilding sites', the company says. 'The hope that within a few years, we'll get to see a moa back again – that gives me more enjoyment and satisfaction that any film ever has,' says Jackson. As part of Colossal's announcement, the Māori archaeologist Kyle Davis says: 'Our earliest ancestors in this place lived alongside moa and our records, both archaeological and oral, contain knowledge about these birds and their environs. We relish the prospect of bringing that into dialogue with Colossal's cutting-edge science as part of a bold vision for ecological restoration.' This is the latest in a string of headline-grabbing claims by Colossal, which raised $200m in January on a $10bn valuation of the company. In April, Colossal claimed it had resurrected the dire wolf, a North American predator which has been extinct for about 13,000 years, with the birth of two grey wolves that had been genetically modified to have dire wolf characteristics. Weeks earlier, the company released photos of 'woolly mice', which had been genetically altered to have woolly mammoth traits as part of efforts to 'de-extinct' the giant herbivore by genetically modifying Asian elephants. The firm has also set its sights on bringing back the dodo, the Mauritian bird that was hunted to extinction by sailors in the 17th century. But Colossal's announcements are attracting growing scorn and concern from many researchers, who argue that claims of 'de-extinction' are false and a distraction from the ongoing rampant loss of biodiversity, with a million existing species at risk of disappearing. There are also concerns that these 'resurrected' hybrid species are designed for habitats and ecological niches that may no longer exist. Research published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution concluded that spending the limited resources available for saving nature on de-extinction could lead to net biodiversity loss. Aroha Te Pareake Mead, a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Policy Development Working Group on the use of Synthetic Biology in Conservation, says: 'De-extinction is a misnomer, a false promise, that is rooted more in ego than a genuine effort to conserve species. These are exercises in the egotistical delight in the theatrical production of 'discovery' devoid of ethical, environmental and cultural considerations. Bring the moa back? To where? To what quality of life? To roam freely?' Dr Tori Herridge, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Sheffield, who turned down an offer of joining Colossal Biosciences' advisory board, says the company's initiatives are best thought of as scientific experiments – rather than genuinely bringing back extinct species from thousands of years ago. 'Is de-extinction possible? No, it is not possible. What you could potentially do – we'll see – is create a genetically modified organism that may contain some appearance traits that are linked to a previously extinct species based on what we think they were like. Using the term 'de-extinction' allows us to skip over the hard questions. This is not bringing back the mammoth or the moa or the dodo, this is creating something new to create a change in an ecosystem,' she says. Herridge questions the deterministic view of genetics – highlighting that learned culture is a crucial part of a wild species. 'I don't think you're going to be able to create a something that is behaviourally a woolly mammoth just based on its genome. A lot of elephant behaviour is learned. We know there are problems with elephant behaviour once you remove a matriarch from a group,' she says. Colossal Biosciences says its work is helping to slow the rampant ongoing loss of biodiversity by returning functions lost to ecosystems when animals such as mammoth, moa and dodo go extinct. They point to excitement about how its techniques could help restore genetic diversity in endangered wildlife, helping species such as the American red wolf to avoid an extinction doom loop. A representative for the company said they strongly reject claims that de-extinction is not possible. Prof Andrew Pask, who is working on the moa project for Colossal, says the critics are wrong. 'For many of our living species on the brink of extinction, the damage has been done. They are in an extinction vortex where the population spirals to extinction. The single, only way out of this is by bringing back lost diversity into those species genome. This is what de-extinction technology can do,' he says. 'To say it is not possible is just not true. It is hard. It is complex. But we have all the tools to do it. If we re-engineer a genome that is 99.9% identical to a thylacine, a moa, a mammoth then that animal would be as similar to a moa and any two moas would be in that population.' But moa expert Nic Rawlence, an associate professor in ancient DNA at the University of Otago, says there is little chance of bringing the giant birds back from the dead. 'This is Jurassic Park with very low chance of success,' he says. 'If we think of the dire wolf, the genome is 2.5bn individual letters long. It's 99% identical to the grey wolf, so that's still significantly over a million differences, and they made only 20 changes to 14 genes. So, to say they've created a dire wolf is farcical. They've created a designer grey wolf. And that'll be the same with whatever they do with the moa.' Find more Age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
