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De-extinction company plans to recreate giant moa bird

De-extinction - Level 4

Dinosaurs could soon be back. Genetic engineering company Colossal claims it is close to bringing back extinct species. The company has plans to resurrect the moa – a 3.6-metre-tall, flightless bird that once lived in New Zealand. However, it was hunted to extinction 600 years ago. Colossal said: "We're bringing back avian dinosaurs." It will mix DNA from a dead moa with the genome of an emu to recreate the extinct bird.

Colossal's "de-extinction" projects are controversial among the scientific community. Colossal defines de-extinction as: "Generating an organism that both resembles and is genetically similar to an extinct species." It says de-extinction will let scientists protect endangered animals. Species will "thrive" amid climate change. However, critics say extinct animals cannot be replicated. Scientists worry about the impact of putting "hybrid" species into the wild.

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De-extinction - Level 5

It could only be a matter of time before dinosaurs are back among us. Genetic engineering company Colossal Biosciences claims it is on the cusp of bringing back extinct species. The company announced its plan to resurrect the moa – a 3.6-metre-tall, flightless bird. The giant moa once roamed around New Zealand. However, it was hunted to extinction 600 years ago. Colossal's chief scientist said: "We're bringing back avian dinosaurs." Her team will try to recreate the extinct bird by taking DNA from the bones of deceased moa. This DNA will be used to modify the genome of an emu.

Colossal has many "de-extinction" projects. These are controversial among the scientific community. Colossal defines de-extinction as: "Generating an organism that both resembles and is genetically similar to an extinct species." It says de-extinction will let scientists engineer natural resistances in endangered animals. It will also mean species will "thrive" amid climate change, disappearing resources, disease and human interference. However, critics say extinct animals cannot be replicated. Many scientists worry about the unforeseen impact of inserting "hybrid" species into the wild.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

De-extinction - Level 6

It may only be a matter of time before dinosaurs are back among us. Biotechnology and genetic engineering company Colossal Biosciences claims it is on the cusp of successfully bringing back extinct species. On Tuesday, the company announced its plan to resurrect the moa – a 3.6-metre-tall, flightless bird. The giant moa once roamed New Zealand's South Island. It was hunted to extinction 600 years ago. Colossal's chief scientist Beth Shapiro said: "We're bringing back avian dinosaurs." Her colleagues will try to recreate the extinct bird by extracting DNA from the bones of long-deceased moa. Scientists will use this DNA to modify the genome of an emu, which is the closest living relative of the moa.

Colossal is embarking on many "de-extinction" projects. These have created controversy among the scientific community. Colossal defines de-extinction as: "The process of generating an organism that both resembles and is genetically similar to an extinct species." It claims de-extinction will allow scientists to engineer natural resistances in endangered animals today. It would also enhance the adaptability of species to "thrive" amid climate change, dwindling resources, disease and human interference. However, critics contend that extinct animals cannot be replicated. Many scientists are concerned about the unforeseen and detrimental impacts of inserting "hybrid" species into the wild.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson