WASHINGTON β The dodo bird isnβt coming back anytime soon. Nor is the woolly mammoth. But a company working on technologies to bring back extinct species has attracted more investors, while other scientists are skeptical such feats are possible or a good idea.
Colossal Biosciences first announced its ambitious plan to revive the woolly mammoth two years ago, and recently said it wanted to bring back the dodo bird, too.
A rare fragment of a Dodo femur bone is displayed for photographers next to an image of a member of the extinct bird species at Christieβs auction houseβs premises March 27, 2013, in London.
βThe dodo is a symbol of man-made extinction,β said Ben Lamm, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of Colossal. The company has formed a division to focus on bird-related genetic technologies.
The last dodo, a flightless bird about the size of a turkey, was killed in 1681 on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.
The Dallas company, which launched in 2021, said it had raised an additional $150 million in funding. To date, it has raised $225 million from wide-ranging investors that include United States Innovative Technology Fund, Breyer Capital and In-Q-Tel, the CIAβs venture capital firm which invests in technology.
The prospect of bringing the dodo back isnβt expected to directly make money, said Lamm. But the genetic tools and equipment that the company develops to try to do it may have other uses, including for human health care, he said.
For example, Colossal is testing tools to tweak several parts of the genome simultaneously. Itβs also working on technologies for what is sometimes called an βartificial womb,β he said.
The dodoβs closest living relative is the Nicobar pigeon, said Beth Shapiro, a molecular biologist on Colossalβs scientific advisory board, who has been studying the dodo for two decades. Shapiro is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Pressβ Health and Science Department.
Her team plans to study DNA differences between the Nicobar pigeon and the dodo to understand βwhat are the genes that really make a dodo a dodo,β she said.
The team may then attempt to edit Nicobar pigeon cells to make them resemble dodo cells. It may be possible to put the tweaked cells into developing eggs of other birds, such as pigeons or chickens, to create offspring that may in turn naturally produce dodo eggs, said Shapiro. The concept is still in an early theoretical stage for dodos.
Because animals are a product of both their genetics and their environment β which has changed dramatically since the 1600s β Shapiro said that βitβs not possible to recreate a 100% identical copy of something thatβs gone.β
Other scientists wonder if itβs even advisable to try, and question whether βde-extinctionβ diverts attention and money away from efforts to save species still on Earth.
βThereβs a real hazard in saying that if we destroy nature, we can just put it back together again β because we canβt,β said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who has no connection to Colossal.
βAnd where on Earth would you put a woolly mammoth, other than in a cage?β asked Pimm, who noted that the ecosystems where mammoths lived disappeared long ago.
On a practical level, conservation biologists familiar with captive breeding programs say that it can be tricky for zoo-bred animals to ever adapt to the wild.
It helps if they can learn from other wild animals of their kind β an advantage that potential dodos and mammoths wonβt have, said Boris Worm, a biologist at the University of Dalhousie in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who has no connection to Colossal.
βPreventing species from going extinct in the first place should be our priority, and in most cases, itβs a lot cheaper,β said Worm.
26 species on the brink of extinction
Orangutan
Updated
There are two species of orangutan, the only great ape in Asia, both of which are considered critically endangered. Their population has become restricted to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, where forests continue to be exploited for timber or cut down to make way for palm oil and other agricultural production. Illegal killing for meat and kidnapping young orangutans for the pet trade occur as well. Bornean orangutans number more than 50,000 while Sumatran orangutans only have a population of about 7,000.
Addax antelope
Updated
There are only three addax antelope left in the wild, according to an extensive 2016 survey, which used ground and aerial surveillance and even infrared and only located one small, nervous group of these antelope. The animalβs habit in Chad and Niger is massively unstable because of political strife, drug smuggling, weapons trafficking and illegal wildlife trade, but much of the blame for the addaxβs decline has been placed on poaching by soldiers hired to protect Chinese-owned oil operations.
Vaquita
Updated
The vaquita, or gulf porpoise, is the smallest and rarest whale, dolphin or porpoise in the world. Itβs found only in Mexicoβs Gulf of California. Itβs estimated there are roughly 30 individuals left in the wild, compared to almost 600 in 1997. The primary threat to this unique cetacean comes from fishing. These porpoises unintentionally get caught in equipment or become ensnared in illegal gill nets.
Lemur
Updated
The ring-tailed rascals from the animated βMadagascarβ series might have their own thriving kingdom in the movies, but in reality, 90 of the 101 species of lemurs of Madagascar are threatened with extinction, making them the most threatened mammal species on Earth. Northern sportive lemurs are barely hanging on, with only 18 known individuals left in the wild. The countryβs political turmoil, loss of habitat and the illegal hardwood trade are the main culprits behind this crisis.
Hawksbill turtle
Updated
Despite being protected by many countries under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, hawksbill turtles have decreased in population by 80 percent in the last century and are still on the decline. Their amber, yellow and brown marbled shells are used in tortoiseshell products, which are still in high demand in Asia, making the turtles a frequent victim of the illegal wildlife trade. They are also killed for their meat, and eggs are taken from nests for food. Environmental factors also threaten their habitats.
Pangolin
Updated
All eight species of the pangolin are threatened with extinction, with three being endangered and two being critically endangered, all because of poaching. Pangolins, or scaly anteaters, are the most illegally traded mammal in the world. The scales of the pangolin are in high demand on the black market for use in traditional Chinese medicine while the meat is considered a delicacy. With Chinese and Sunda pangolin populations decimated and a commercial trade ban for wild-caught pangolin in Asia, hunters are now poaching the four species of African pangolin. Numerous attempts to breed pangolins in captivity so far have failed.
Rhinoceros
Updated
With the growth of the upper middle class in countries such as China and Vietnam, demand for illegal wildlife products used in traditional Asian medicine, such as rhinoceros horns, has soared in the last decade. There are just over 29,000 rhinos left on Earth, according to National Geographic. Of the five species of rhinos, three are critically endangered due to poaching. There are roughly 60 Javan rhinos, making it the rarest large mammal on Earth, fewer than 100 Sumatran rhinos and roughly 5,000 black rhinos. The northern white rhinoceros, a sub-species of the white rhino, is extinct in the wild. There were three living in captivity until the the worldβs last male northern white rhinoceros died in March 2018. Now only the last two females remain.
Florida panther
Updated
The Florida panther, a subspecies of cougar, is the most endangered cat in North America and one of the world's most endangered mammals. Experts estimate roughly 120-230 of the big cats still roam the state of Florida, but there were 30 known panther fatalities in 2017, which couldβve taken out up to 25 percent of the population. Florida panthers have barely survived despite being protected under the the Endangered Species Act. Their biggest threats are human development and collision with vehicles. In 2018 the Florida pantherβs cousin, the Eastern cougar, was officially declared extinct.
Saola
Updated
The saola is so rare, itβs known as the Asian unicorn. In fact, it was only first discovered in 1994. The elusive deer is critically endangered as its population is only estimated to be 750, and it faces threats from hunting in its small, shrinking habitat in the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam. Though often not hunted purposefully, saola are often caught in ground snares set out for other land mammals.
Florida grasshopper sparrow
Updated
Scientific American predicts that in 2018 the United States could experience its first bird extinction in more than three decades. The population of the Florida grasshopper sparrow, now estimated at less than 100 in the wild, experienced a catastrophic population decline in the past 40 years due to habitat loss. As a last resort, a captive breeding program was instituted in Florida in 2015 to save the bird from extinction, but the program has faced setbacks, including a lack of funding.
Amur leopard
Updated
The Amur leopard subspecies has been critically endangered since 1996, with only 14-20 adults and 5-6 cubs found in a 2007 census. Officially extinct in their former habitats in Korea and China, the solitary, nocturnal creatures can now only be found in a small pocket in Russia, mostly due to logging and land conversion, which affects the leopardβs prey population. The Amur leopard is also poached for its fur.
Gorilla
Updated
Gorillas are divided into two subspecies, Eastern and Western gorillas, both of which are critically endangered. Eastern gorillas number less than 5,000 due to poaching, loss of habitat and political turmoil as their territory was the epicenter of βAfrica's world war." While Western lowland gorillas have higher numbers, poaching is occurring at unsustainable rates despite laws against killing, capture or consumption of great apes. Four of the worldβs six great ape species, which also includes bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans, are now critically endangered.
Yellow-breasted bunting
Updated
The yellow-breasted bunting, also known as a βrice bird,β has jumped from endangered to critically endangered status in the span of one year. The Asian bird has faced an extremely rapid population decline. It was once found all the way from China to Europe, but its European population has dropped from 300,000 about a decade ago to a mere 120-600 mature individuals. Excessive trapping, especially in China, is the main culprit. Despite it being legally protected in China since 1997, the black market for the once-common yellow-breasted buntings, considered a delicacy as well as a totem that brings happiness, has continued to take a deadly toll.
Darwinβs fox
Updated
Endemic to mainland Chile and the island of ChiloΓ©, Darwinβs fox is named after Charles Darwin. Darwin first encountered the fox and noted it as a distinct species in 1832, his first year working as a naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle. This rare, endangered fox is estimated to have a population less than 1,000 and is threatened by forest loss and being killed by or catching diseases from domestic dogs.
Philippine eagle
Updated
Also known as the monkey-eating eagle, the massive, powerful Philippine eagle is the national bird of the Philippines, and yet itβs one of the rarest birds in the world. Extensive deforestation has led to it being a critically endangered species since 2010 with only an estimated 600 left in the wild. Killing a Philippine eagle is punishable with jail time. A man in 2013 was sentenced to six years in prison for killing and eating one.
Iberian lynx
Updated
The most endangered feline species in the world is the Iberian lynx, which numbers close to just 400 in the wild on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) after years of conservation efforts. Up from a population of less than 100 in 2002, this lynx is still threatened from illegal hunting, lack of prey, habitat loss through construction of roads and railways, and getting hit by cars.
Tree kangaroo
Updated
According to the World Wildlife Foundation, loss of habitat and uncontrolled hunting are forcing multiple species of tree kangaroos, found in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, to extinction. The Wondiwoi tree kangaroo has an estimated 50 or fewer individuals left in the wild. Large swaths of their habitat are being cleared for timber or growing crops. Theyβve also been over-hunted by locals for food.
Cuban crocodile
Updated
There are an estimated 3,000 Cuban crocodiles left in the wild, according to Scientific American, making them critically endangered. Only living in a small area in Cuba, these distinctive black-and-yellow freshwater crocodiles are threatened by illegal hunting, habitat degradation and hybridization due to breeding with the much more common American crocodile. A breeding facility is attempting to prevent the speciesβ extinction.
Laysan duck
Updated
Once found all throughout the Hawaiian Islands, the Laysan duck is now only found on the small, 900-acre Laysan Island, which is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The population was ravished after people introduced non-native animals to the islands, especially rats and rabbits. By 1912, just 12 ducks remained. Despite conservation efforts rebuilding the population, the species is still considered critically endangered because of recent extreme population fluctuations due to hurricanes and disease.
Visayan warty pig
Updated
The critically endangered Visayan warty pig lives on two of the Visayan Islands in the Philippines. On top of being over-hunted for food and their hides, these pigs are primarily threatened because 95 percent of their natural habitat has been cleared by local farmers, who also have negative attitudes about these animals damaging their crops.
White-rumped vulture
Updated
This Asian species of vulture has suffered a catastrophic population decline, losing 99 percent of its population. Previously considered the most abundant large bird of prey in the world, it has experienced the fastest decline of any bird species in recorded history, according to Mother Nature Network. These vultures have died in mass numbers after eating livestock carcasses that had been treated with the veterinary drug diclofenac, an animal painkiller. Diclofenac has been banned by the governments of India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh, helping to stabilize the vulture population, but itβs still in decline.
Gray whales
Updated
While the population of eastern gray whales that live in the Pacific along California are stable and a conservation success story, the genetically isolated sub-population of gray whales that live in the Okhotsk Sea off the coast of Russia are considered critically endangered, numbering less than 200. Oil and gas activity has interfered with the whales' annual migration routes through the coastal waters of Japan, Korea and China. Seismic activity and getting hit by ships and entangled in equipment are also hurtful side effects of human development in this region.
Saiga antelope
Updated
With their bulbous noses, the Central Asian saiga antelope look like something from a sci-fi fantasy. The reality is that the saiga antelope has lost 80 percent of its population in the last 10 years due to reproductive collapse. Only one in 10 saigas is male. Theyβve been illegally hunted for their meat as well as their horns, which are exported for use in traditional Chinese medicine. Once common, the saiga population is around 50,000 compared to 1 million in the 1990s.
Kakapo
Updated
The kakapo is a nocturnal, flightless green parrot that can only be found on three offshore islands of New Zealand. It disappeared from its much broader original range due to human colonization and being killed by human-introduced predators such as cats and rats. The birds also have a low reproduction rate, breeding once every two to five years. Kakapos are legally protected, and their latest documented population is just around 150 individuals.
Douc langur
Updated
All three species of douc langur monkeys in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are endangered, with the gray-shanked variety being critically endangered with only 550 to 700 individuals. Logging and agricultural conversion are primary threats, though they are also hunted for meat, to be kept as pets or to be used in traditional medicine. Vietnam is attempting to protect the gray-shanked douc langur through a breeding program at a national park.
Ploughshare tortoise
Updated
In 2016 it was predicted Madagascarβs ploughshare tortoise would be extinct in two years due to rampant illegal poaching. Although the animal is protected and the nation has anti-poaching and anti-trafficking laws, lack of enforcement has allowed the tortoise population to dwindle to less than 100 individuals left in the wild. As with lemurs, this rare turtle species could die off forever because Madagascar is biologically diverse yet one of the 10 poorest countries in the world and continues to face political upheaval and disorganization.
