After the Dire Wolf, Texas Company Is Now Bringing Back the Moa, a Giant Flightless Bird From Extinction
A majestic bird interwoven with New Zealand's identity may soon be making a comeback. Certain individuals from the indigenous Māori group have collaborated with Oscar-winning New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson and Colossal Biosciences to revive "Moa," the giant bird that once was the crown of this country, as reported by Forbes. Colossal Biosciences is a Texas genetic engineering company that has already created major waves worldwide, bringing back direwolves from the dead with investment from "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin. If the company manages to add Moa to its list, it will turn many heads towards its breakthrough technology.
How Did Moa Vanish?
Moa, the world's largest bird, stood at 11 feet and weighed around 500 lbs, and was spread throughout the forests in New Zealand's South Island. The beginning of the end for these birds happened when the islands' first human settlers, Polynesians from the South Pacific, arrived in the late 1200s. Their source of protein was limited, and they soon resorted to hunting these giant birds. In just 150 years, all traces of this bird vanished from the island. The descendants of these Polynesians are now trying to revive the Moa, along with eight smaller moa species. Ngāi Tahu, a South Island Māori iwi (tribe), is leading the pursuit with the Research Centre at the South Island's University of Canterbury, which is the tribe's namesake, carrying out the proceedings to de-extinct the bird. The Research Centre will garner technological aid and support from Colossal Biosciences.
Peter Jackson's Contribution
Jackson was the intermediary and facilitator who brought Colossal in touch with the Ngāi Tahu Research Center for the moa project, according to Time Magazine. Jackson is also an investor in Colossal and wanted to bring them on board because, as a New Zealander, it was his lifelong dream to see the bird in real life. He claims the bird is a crucial part of New Zealand's psyche, and they are carried as a badge of honor. "It's always been part of our zeitgeist as a nation," Jackson said. "But it's obviously a creature that nobody alive today has ever seen. So it's always been that elusive (feeling of), 'Gosh, wouldn't it be incredible if we knew what they were really like? What was it actually like to be in the company of one?' That's such an awe-inspiring idea that I hope it happens as soon as possible."
Hard Pursuit
Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis considers the pursuit to be very personal, as the Moa is a pivotal part of the indigenous tribe's mythology, making them a very valuable cultural symbol. Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal, completely understands this. "This is completely a Māori initiative," he shared. "We feel like the Colossal team is an extension of the research center and the Māori." Moa's de-extinction is proving to be harder than direwolves, as in the latter, incubation took place inside a surrogate domestic dog's womb. In this case, it would have to happen outside, inside an egg.
Similar to direwolves, the genome of the extinct species would need to be sequenced, and then the genome of a closely related living species would need to be rewritten to resemble the extinct species. Here, it would have to be either a tinamou or an emu. Primordial germ cells, which develop into an egg, would need to be taken from the living creatures and would be rewritten, exhibiting features of the Moa. The rewritten genome will be introduced to the embryonic tinamou or emu inside an egg. If the cells manage to travel to the gonads of the embryo, they would transform the part in such a way that females inside it would go on to produce Moa eggs, while males would produce Moa sperm. Essentially, the birthed tinamou or emu would become a surrogate mother or father to a moa specimen. At present, experts are in the process of sequencing the genome of the Moa.
Experts believe that if the Moa comes back, it could transform New Zealand's forests. The bird was a cornerstone creature that shaped the flora of the region. They also helped in restoration by dispersing seeds of plants they ate. Their disappearance had a huge impact on the forest restoration of this region. If the creature can make a comeback, there is a chance that the forest's restoration efficiency climbs again. "This has an excitement value to it that movies don't have," said Jackson. "When I see a living moa for the first time, I'm going to be absolutely amazed beyond anything I've ever felt."