Scientists begin a project to bring back the dodo

They were once found on the island of Mauritius, but since 1700 dodos have disappeared from the face of the earth. However, private birds can return at any time.

Mauritius

They were once found on the island of Mauritius, but since 1700 dodos have disappeared from the face of the earth. However, private birds can return at any time.

If there is one animal that is always mentioned when it comes to animals that are going extinct, it is the dodo. It is funny to see round birds with their big legs and amazing beak. However, the animal was completely finished off by man. Could she be brought back to life by the same man?

Jurassic Park

It looks kind of like Jurassic Park, but progress is being made in being able to bring back the bird. You can debate how responsible such a thing is, but surely we Dutch can imagine more why than why not. Our colonization of the island has rendered the home of the dodo uninhabitable.

Raphus cucullatus, as the animal is also called, will be eradicated by Colossal Biosciences in Texas. The dodo is not alone in this, as it also wants to bring back the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger from the dead. The American Innovative Technology Fund has invested $150 million specifically to start up the dodo project. The “working dodo” is supposed to be returned to the island it came from.

The dodo is working

A functional dodo seems a bit like a robot: but that has a lot to do with the fact that we will never be able to restore a breed as complete as it was. He must be able to survive in the current circumstances, otherwise history will repeat itself at a rapid pace.

It remains to be seen exactly how scientists will handle it. In any case, biotechnology creates a kind of simulation. Dodos seem to have the same brain capacity as pigeons, and although they are often described as stupid, their intelligence is not that bad. However, it’s not really complicated, which makes it easy to make a new dodo.

an egg

Why so many people put money into a project like this isn’t usually due to them being a huge fan of the dodo. They believe this science can help combat climate change. If we can create animals that are better suited to the challenges of this age, it can help them survive.

Before that happens, scientists must first obtain the DNA of a still completely intact dodo. If the specimen from Copenhagen the researchers are considering is really as good as they think it is, they are at least one step closer to that dodo dream. One small step: The scientists then have to make an egg, which is much more difficult to mimic than mammals. You can’t just modify the DNA and put it into an egg cell. They will have to use other birds’ eggs for this.

In any case, we are still a long way from making the baby dootje and perhaps the last ethical discussions on this topic have not been held.