Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson has teamed up with biotech company Colossal Biosciences to bring back the extinct moa bird, a native New Zealand species that roamed the country for 4,000 years before becoming extinct around 600 years ago.
Jackson, known for his work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has a personal fascination with the moa bird and owns one of the largest private collections of moa bones. His partnership with Colossal Biosciences aims to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa, which stood 12 feet tall.
The project, which has received $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner, Fran Walsh, will involve identifying well-preserved moa bones from which DNA can be extracted and compared with genomes of living bird species. The goal is to create a bird with physical traits similar to the moa, including its large size and distinctive features.
While some scientists have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of bringing back extinct species, Colossal Biosciences has already made headlines for its work on "de-extincting" the dire wolf. The company's chief scientist, Beth Shapiro, said that working with birds presents different challenges than working with mammals, but the team is optimistic about the project's potential.
The collaboration also includes the New Zealand-based Ngai Tahu Research Center, which will provide input on the cultural and ecological implications of bringing back the moa bird. Maori scholars at the University of Canterbury's Ngai Tahu Research Center have said that the project has "really reinvigorated the interest in examining our own traditions and mythology."
Read more about music licensing fees sparking controversy, or check out Paul McCartney's new tour dates.