The dream of Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings. it does not concern a new epic film, but a real business of Genetic engineering: bring the Gigante back to lifea bird unable to fly more than three meters high and about 250 kg heavy, extinct from approximately 600 years. The project is financed by the New Zealand director, the Ngāi Tahu Research Center and the Canterbury Museum, in collaboration with Colossal Biosciencesthe Texana company known for its ambitions of “de-extinction” (from mammoth to dodo).
The idea is of analyze the DNA Ancient of the nine species of Moa to identify the genetic code of the most impressive among them, the Dinornis Robustus. The challenge? There are no next quite similar living relatives: the closest relative is the tinamoa small South American bird that shares a common ancestor with Moadi 58 million years ago. Because of this, He will focus on an emu as a surrogate mothereven if the chances of success remain low.
Criticism from the scientific community: because bringing back to life the Moa seems impossible
Scientists do not seem enthusiastic. According to many experts, bringing back the Moa is. There de-extinction of the Moa In fact, it clashes with almost insurmountable technical obstacles. First of all, the DNA available He is strongly degraded: none of the extinct specimens retains a complete genome replicable without external interventions.
To this is added a fundamental problem: they do not exist Living relatives quite close It can be used as a realistic genetic basis. The tinamids, closest relatives, are small and unsuitable birds to host giant eggs, while theemuchosen as a surrogate, is millions of years of evolution away. This means that even if you could create an embryo, there would be no bird able to incubate And to give birth.
Furthermore, only one specimen is not enough: they would need hundreds of Moa to avoid consanguinity and guarantee a sustainable population. But without original habitat and with many artificially “reconstructed” genes, there is a risk of obtaining not a real moa, but a genetically uncertain hybridunable to survive or integrate into the modern environment.
The real priority: current biodiversity
At the center of the controversy is then an urgent theme: the Loss of biodiversity Today. With hundreds of species at risk in New Zealand and Pacific, many wonder if it is sensible invest millions to revive extinct species Instead of saving those still existing. Some fear that these projects push public opinion to believe that any extinction is reversiblepaying attention and funds from real conservation.
De-extinction or illusion?
For his part, Colossal Biosciences insists: even if not perfectly faithful to the originals, the animals reported alive could restore ecological functions lost. But for many, it is a form of scientific egotism Masked by progress. If the result will be a “-like” Moa without a place in the world, is it really worth taking it back?
Sources: Colossal Bioscience New Scientist / Predator Free NZ Trust
