# Reviving the Dodo: A Bold Venture into Genetic Engineering
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Chapter 1: The Dodo's Potential Comeback
Colossal Biosciences, a pioneering bioengineering firm, has successfully secured $150 million in funding from investors to embark on an ambitious project: the revival of the extinct dodo bird.
[Photo: Musée d’Histoire Naturelle de Lille, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons]
This iconic bird, along with the woolly mammoth, symbolizes extinction. The dodo, characterized by its unique beak and rotund body, once thrived exclusively on the island of Mauritius until its extinction in the mid-1600s. Today, its remains are housed in various museums around the globe. Colossal Biosciences aims to change this narrative. Ben Lamm, the company's co-founder and CEO, has articulated plans to utilize the newly acquired funds for the dodo's resurrection. Should they succeed, the intention is to reintroduce these birds back into their native habitat, Mauritius, as stated in a report by the Guardian.
Section 1.1: The Debate over De-extinction
The dream of bringing back the dodo and similar extinct creatures captivates many, but it is not without controversy. Critics of such initiatives argue that attempting to resurrect extinct species is misguided, especially when current mass extinctions threaten many living species. They also raise concerns about the techniques involved, noting that the goal is not to recreate exact replicas of these animals, but rather to generate genetically modified versions that closely resemble them.
The dodo's remains are prevalent in museum collections, providing scientists with the necessary DNA for analysis. Researchers at Colossal have already sequenced the dodo's complete genome.
[Photo: BazzaDaRambler, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons]
Section 1.2: The Genetic Blueprint
To successfully recreate the dodo, Colossal scientists must identify the genes linked to the bird's unique traits, such as its inability to fly, within the genome of a living relative. The pigeon family offers suitable candidates, particularly the vibrant Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica). By pinpointing the specific dodo genes, they plan to edit the genome of the pigeon, incorporating these essential genetic traits.
The modified genetic material would then be introduced into bird embryos. If all goes according to plan, the resulting offspring would exhibit dodo-like characteristics, despite being hybrids of modern pigeon and dodo genetics.
Chapter 2: Ethical Considerations in De-extinction
While the ambition to resurrect extinct species is captivating, it raises significant ethical questions. For instance, the closest living relatives to mammoths are elephants. Creating a mammoth would involve extensive genetic modifications, artificial insemination, and careful pregnancy management, all of which demand substantial time and resources. Critics question the rationale behind investing in such projects when numerous endangered species require urgent conservation efforts.
Beth Shapiro, a paleogeneticist at Colossal, acknowledges these concerns, emphasizing that reviving a dodo will not address the broader biodiversity crisis. Conversely, Lamm argues that the research conducted at Colossal might lead to innovative methods to preserve vital traits of existing species, thus aiding their adaptation to the challenges posed by climate change.
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