Could we de-extinct the moa?

Our Changing World takes a deep dive into controversial plans by US company Colossal Biosciences, backed by filmmaker Peter Jackson, to de-extinct the Moa. In part one of a two-part series, Sharon Brettkelly looks at whether it CAN be done.

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LEARN MORE:

• Colossal Biosciences claims they have de-extincted the dire wolf, from CNN.
• More detail on Colossal Biosciences’ artificial egg.
• Listen to Kathryn Ryan speaking with ‘Mr Moa’ - paleozoologist Trevor Worthy about his long career.
• Auckland Museum research associate Daniel Thomas talks to Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira about the discovery of million year old moa footprints.

GUESTS:

• Dr Andrew Pask, Chief Biology Officer, Colossal Biosciences
• Associate Professor Nic Rawlence, Director of Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, University of Otago.

IN THIS EPISODE:

(00:00) Could we bring the moa back?

(02:30) Sequencing the moa genome

(06:00) DNA data

(08:00) The artificial egg breakthrough

(10:20) How a "moa" would actually be created

(12:30) Critics challenge the science

(17:20) The conservation implications

(22:00) Māori consultation questions

(23:51) Will we ever see moa roaming again?

(26:08) Coming up in Part 2

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details