After the direwolf: Colossal Biosciences now also wants to "revive" Moas

Colossal Biosciences now also wants to revive the extinct giant bird moa, which lived on New Zealand's two main islands until it was wiped out a few hundred years ago. This has now been announced by the US company, a few months after it claimed to have brought back the extinct dire wolf. In contrast, the project to revive the moas is still in its infancy and was initiated by film director Peter Jackson. He comes from New Zealand and has a collection of hundreds of moa bones, reports the AP news agency. Two years ago, he began promoting the revival attempt.

Extinct in a very short time

Moas are among the largest birds ever to have lived on Earth at the same time as modern humans, with some species growing up to three meters in size. After the arrival of the Maori in the 13th century, they were apparently wiped out within a very short time. For the revival attempt, Colossal Biosciences says it now wants to use DNA samples that have survived the centuries in caves and wetlands. The project is not only about a scientific milestone but also about bringing together technology, culture, and responsibility for the environment. Indigenous people from New Zealand are to play a central role in this.

The US company caused a worldwide stir in April when it announced that it had created a total of three so-called direwolves. The pups are said to be in a secret location and receive extensive care. To resurrect the animals, the company claims to have taken genetic material from the bones of the dire wolf and compared it with the genome of related species. The genome of the gray wolf was then modified in a few places to create a specimen that resembles the original. Zoologists have therefore clarified that these are not dire wolves but “genetically modified gray wolve.”

It can be assumed that Colossal Biosciences wants to proceed similarly with the New Zealand giant birds, so the result would not be real moas either. It is still early days, and there are high hurdles, company boss Beth Shapiro told AP. However, critics are already having their say, raising the question of where such a giant bird should actually live. Stuart Pimm from Duke University believes it is extremely unlikely that the moas could be released into the wild: “It would be an extremely dangerous animal,” he warns. Meanwhile, Peter Jackson points out in Forbes how important the giant bird is for New Zealand culture.

(mho)