A Texas-based biotechnology firm, Colossal Biosciences (founded in 2021 by George Church and Ben Lamm), has announced an ambitious project to resurrect the South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus). This moa is an extinct flightless bird from New Zealand that disappeared around 600 years ago due to Polynesian hunting and habitat destruction. At its peak, the South Island giant moa stood around 3.6 meters tall (12ft) and weighed approximately 230 kilograms (500lbs)—remaining as major ecological players in New Zealand’s pre-colonial ecosystems.
Filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh have invested around $15 million in the initiative, and Jackson also provided access to his private collection of roughly 400 moa bones; Canterbury Museum, which holds the world’s largest moa collection, is also collaborating. The project is led and guided by the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, a Māori-led institution based at the University of Canterbury, combining advanced genetic technology with Māori leadership, aiming to blend traditional ecological knowledge and Western science in an Indigenous-led initiative.
The scientific strategy involves recovering DNA from the moa fossils and constructing full genome assemblies for all nine known moa species. These genomes are then compared to those of moa’s closest living relatives (such as emu and tinamou) to identify genetic differences. Colossal plans are made to use CRISPR gene-editing to introduce moa-specific traits into surrogate bird embryos originating from emu or tinamou cells, with the ultimate goal of creating a bird that resembles the extinct species (though not entirely genetically identical). Because no extant bird carries an egg large enough to incubate a moa embryo, the company is also developing artificial egg incubation technology. Parts of the project emphasize ecological restoration and cultural renewal: moa once played vital roles as megaherbivores in seed dispersal and vegetation management, and for Māori communities, moa are cherished as taonga, or tribal treasures.
The project defines any resulting bird as a “functional analogue” rather than a true moa, recognizing that after hundreds of generations away from their original genome and environment, the recreated animals would not be genetically identical or endowed with the same evolutionary legacy. According to Colossal, they anticipate potentially seeing hatchlings in five to eight years, with ten years as an upper bound. The project is raising concerns about feasibility, ethics, and resource allocation from critics. For example, paleontologist Nic Rawlence, from the University of Otago warned that the evolutionary gap of tens of millions of years between moa and their closest relatives means it may be impossible to engineer accurately, and that the engineered “moa” might not function well ecologically.
Zoology Professor Emeritus Phillip Seddon also claims “extinction is really forever. There is no current genetic engineering pathway that can truly restore a lost species, especially one missing from its ecological and evolutionary context for hundreds of years.” Additionally, skeptics stress that immense financial and media interest might distract from the urgent need to conserve currently endangered species. Hence, Colossal’s moa de‑extinction initiative is considered as an highly ambitious attempt to bring back a lost megafaunal species.