Dodo, considered a native of Mauritius, was last spotted in the 17th century.
Colossal Biosciences, a biotechnology and genetic engineering company founded by George Church and Ben Lamm, had tasked itself with the idea of resurrecting the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger. Now, it seeks to resurrect the dodo, an extinct species of flightless bird. Dodo, considered a native of Mauritius, was last spotted in the 17th century.
The extinction of dodos is attributed to hunting as well as the introduction of animals not native to the island. This caused the devastation of its natural habitat, and, as a result, its food sources.
This is akin to the story of the Tasmanian tiger, a species which is also in Colossal Biosciences’ scheme of resurrection. So the question arises as to why is Colossal Biosciences planning to resurrect the dodo. One probable explanation is its resurrection would assist in checking the invasive species in Mauritius.
Revival of dodos could neutralize damage done by humanity
Colossal Biosciences also thinks that the revival of dodos would neutralize to an extent the damage done by humanity leading to the extinction of many plant and animal species.
As per a report, Colossal has made much headway in its work. Beth Shapiro, a biologist at University of California, Santa Cruz, who is also on the scientific advisory panel of Colossal Biosciences, is among a group of scientists who sequenced the dodo genome in 2022 march. This is considered a milestone in the path to the resurrection of the dodos.
In genome sequencing, the DNA is broken down to smaller fragments. Then, by using bioinformatics techniques, these fragments are reassembled. The uses of genome sequencing include studying genetic variation and it also helps in identifying mutations in genes, which cause diseases. In effect, it helps the development of new drugs also.
Colossal Biosciences aims to create an embryo suiting the dodo genetics from the DNA of Nicobar pigeon. Colossal acknowledges the task will be herculean, but it would be a phenomenal achievement if it is able to do it.
30,000 species face extinction every year
On average, 30,000 species face extinction every year. And as per World Animal Foundation forecasts, half of all species could become extinct by 2050. The United Nations has declared a million animal and plant species are facing the threat of extinction. This includes more than a third of all marine mammals.
This is why Colossal Biosciences is convinced that the answer to this is de-extinction, which involves deploying advanced gene editing technology to rebuild the DNA of extinct creatures, which had a huge positive impact on our ecosystems.
