by A company based in Texas with the support of Lord of the Rings filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson tries to bring a huge bird back from extinction.
The colossal biosciences have announced the effort, generously changed lively birds to resemble the extinct South Island Giant Moa, who was once 3.6 meters tall, with $ 15 million (11 million GBP) by Sir Peter. The cooperation also includes the New Zealand NGāi Tahu Research Center.
It is not the first time that you have tried to revive a way. Scientists from Colossal successfully breeded Gray Wolves with genetic similarities with the extinct direct wolf.
But it is the first time that they have tried to educate a bird that, given the fact that bird embryos develop in eggs, represents different challenges for the IVF of mammals.
According to Colossal, the species should be revived within five to ten years. The first phase of the project will be to identify well -preserved bones from which it can be possible to extract DNA, said the chief scientist of Kolossssal, Beth Shapiro.
These DNA sequences are compared with genoms of living bird species, including the ground Tinamou and the Emu, “to find out what made MOA unique compared to other birds,” she said.
The genetically modified birds are then hatched and released into closed “Rewilding website”, according to the company.
“The hope that we will see a MOA back within a few years – that gives me more joy and satisfaction that every film ever has,” says Sir Peter, who has collected between 300 and 400 MAO bones himself.
“The films are my day job, and the MOA are my funny thing I do. Every New Zealand school child has a fascination for the MOA.”
But the idea is not without controversy. External scientists say that the idea of bringing extinct species back to modern landscape is probably impossible, although it may be possible to optimize the genes of living animals in such a way that they have similar physical features.
They have mixed feelings about whether this will be helpful and some fear that the focus could distract from lost creatures from protecting species that still exist.
The MOA had roamed New Zealand for 4,000 years until it died out about 600 years ago, mainly because of an overshel.
A large skeleton that was brought to England in the 19th century, which is now exhibited in the Yorkshire Museum, aroused the international interest in the long -term bird.
