The Dodo Bird: A Extinct Species, Yet a New Hope for Its Revival
The dodo bird, a symbol of Mauritius, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, has been extinct for over 350 years. The last confirmed sighting of a dodo bird was in 1662. The dodo, a large, fluffy, and gentle bird with a distinctive beak, was considered a flightless bird, with no natural predators in the wild. It is believed that introduced species, such as rats, pigs, and macaques, played a significant role in the extinction of the dodo, along with habitat destruction.
A team of scientists, led by Dr. Beth Shapiro, a renowned geneticist, at the Penn State University, have made a stunning announcement that they are planning to bring back the dodo bird. Shapiro’s team has been working on a revolutionary $10 million project to de-extinct the dodo bird using cutting-edge genetic technologies, including CRISPR gene editing.
The plan requires collecting DNA samples from around the world, including museum collections, and reconstructing the dodo’s genome. The scientists will then use gene editing technology to insert the desired genes into the DNA of a living bird, called the Mauritius pink pigeon, which is a close relative of the dodo. The genetically engineered birds will be bred in captivity, and eventually released back into the wild.
Shapiro’s team claims that if successful, this project could not only bring back the dodo but also help scientists understand the evolutionary history of the species and how to better conserve endangered species. The project is expected to take several years, and the first results are expected by 2025.
While the project is ambitious, it raises many questions about the ethics of de-extinction, the potential risks of introducing a new species to an ecosystem, and the long-term consequences for the original ecosystem. The project has also sparked controversy among the scientific community, with some arguing that resources would be better spent on preserving endangered species rather than attempting to bring back ones that are already extinct.
