The dodo bird disappeared from its native home on the island of Mauritius in the late 17th century. This flightless pigeon is a powerful symbol of human-caused extinction, having evolved without the need for flight or fear in a predator-free environment. The concept of “de-extinction,” or resurrection biology, aims to bring back extinct species or create a genetically similar proxy. Current scientific efforts confirm that scientists are actively working on a project to genetically recreate a version of this iconic bird.
The State of Dodo De-extinction Efforts
The dodo de-extinction project is led by a private bioscience company that has committed substantial financial resources to several high-profile de-extinction efforts. The company formally announced its commitment in early 2023, adding the dodo to a list that includes the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger. The company has received significant funding for this scientific undertaking.
A major milestone was the full sequencing and assembly of the dodo’s nuclear genome, achieved by analyzing DNA extracted from a well-preserved specimen housed in the Natural History Museum of Denmark. This provides the complete genetic blueprint needed for the project. The dodo’s closest living relative, the Nicobar pigeon, has been identified, and its genome is also being sequenced to serve as a comparative template. The company suggests it may take at least five to seven years to produce a living bird.
The Scientific Blueprint for Resurrection
The modern approach to de-extinction, particularly for birds, relies on creating a genetically engineered proxy rather than cloning the extinct animal entirely. The process begins by comparing the sequenced dodo genome against the genome of its closest living relative, the Nicobar pigeon. Scientists use computational biology to identify the specific genetic differences responsible for the dodo’s unique physical traits, such as its flightlessness, size, and distinctive beak shape.
The next step involves using advanced gene-editing tools, such as CRISPR, to modify the Nicobar pigeon’s DNA to incorporate the dodo’s characteristic genes. The goal is to edit the Nicobar pigeon’s genome at thousands of locations to change its traits to mimic those of the dodo. This modified genetic material is introduced into primordial germ cells (PGCs) extracted from a developing pigeon embryo. PGCs are the precursors to sperm and egg cells. These cells are cultured and edited in a lab before being injected back into a new host egg, potentially from a chicken, to accelerate the process. The resulting bird would be a genetic hybrid, a “dodo-like” creature carrying the engineered germline and capable of producing offspring with the desired dodo traits.
Hurdles in Bringing Back the Dodo
Several technical obstacles must be overcome before a dodo-like bird can be successfully created. The primary challenge lies in the quality of the ancient DNA, which is degraded and fragmented, making it nearly impossible to retrieve a perfectly intact genome. Scientists must use complex computational methods to fill in the missing genetic gaps, meaning the assembled genome is always an approximation, not an exact replica.
A significant biological challenge is manipulating avian reproductive biology, which differs substantially from that of mammals. The process requires the successful culturing and precise editing of the primordial germ cells from a non-model avian species, which is a complex technical feat. Furthermore, the final stage involves finding a viable surrogate parent. This parent must successfully carry and hatch an egg containing a genetically distinct embryo that will be significantly larger than its own. This interspecies incubation introduces a high risk of failure, likely resulting in many non-viable embryos.
Beyond the Lab: The Ethical and Ecological Debate
The prospect of bringing back the dodo raises significant ethical and ecological implications. One common ethical argument centers on resource allocation, questioning whether millions of dollars should be spent on resurrecting an extinct species when thousands of currently endangered species are at risk. Critics suggest that focusing funds on habitat protection and conservation efforts for living animals would yield a greater return on biodiversity.
The ecological debate focuses on reintroducing a de-extinct animal into a world that has fundamentally changed since its disappearance. The dodo’s native habitat on Mauritius is now drastically different, featuring introduced predators like rats and pigs. These invasive species were largely responsible for the bird’s initial extinction by preying on its single ground-laid egg. Reintroducing the dodo would require massive ecological restoration efforts to eliminate these invasive species and recreate the lost ecosystem, ensuring the bird has a viable ecological role without human intervention. Without addressing the original causes of extinction, there are concerns the de-extinct species would simply face the same fate a second time.