Could scientists bring back the Dodo?
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The Dodo bird went extinct between 1681 and 1790.
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The bird is commonly used as a symbol of human-caused extinction (Flickr)
Scientists may be on the verge of resurrecting the extinct Dodo, having just unearthed its DNA and decoded the full genome of the long-dead bird.
The announcement was made by Beth Shapiro of UC Santa Cruz, who announced at a Royal Society discussion that the Dodo genome would be released in the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
In the discussion, called "Can we bring animals back from extinction?," Shapiro said obtaining the genetic sequence is not the final stage of bringing the Dodo back from extinction but that mammals are simpler because of cloning.
She explained, however, "we don't know how to do that with birds because of the intricacies of their reproductive pathways. So there needs to be another approach for birds."
The method is still being worked out, but one of the answers might be linked to the Dodo's closest surviving relative, the Nicobar pigeon. Its DNA might be modified to incorporate the Dodo's. While it may succeed, the end result will not be an actual Dodo.
During the discussion, the experts also discussed the potential consequences of resurrecting extinct species on individuals who are still alive.
Professor Mike Benton of the University of Bristol spoke on the topic, recalling an extinct species that would not only be difficult to bring back to life but may also be dangerous.
Speaking to the panel, he described how "If you bring T-Rex back to life, maybe that wouldn't be the popular thing as it would run riot and cause havoc."
Because the Dodo has a well-known habitat, the argument may be "much more feasible in terms of the environment."
According to biologists, the animal's main habitat when it was still alive was the woodlands on the drier coastal areas of Mauritius. The region is recognized for its moderate tropical marine environment.
