Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is funding a project to restore the extinct moa bird
Director Peter Jackson, known for his Lord of the Rings trilogy, has decided to turn his long-standing fascination with the extinct moa bird into a large-scale scientific project. The initiative will be led by Maori scientists from the University of Canterbury's Ngāi Tahu Research Center, AP reports.
Jackson owns one of the largest private collections of moa bones in the world. Now, in partnership with Colossal Biosciences and with $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh, the team is working to genetically engineer modern birds to resemble the giant South Island moa, which stood 12 feet tall.
Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, an expert on moa bones, said the project had renewed interest in the study of Maori traditions and mythology.
Davis and Jackson recently visited the Pyramid Valley archaeological site, where ancient Maori rock paintings depicting the birds before they were wiped out about 600 years ago due to overhunting have been preserved among the remains of moa.
Paul Scofield, senior curator of natural history at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch and an advisor on the project, recalled his first meeting with Jackson, when he asked him to identify which of the nine moa species various specimens in his collection belonged to.
"He doesn’t just collect some moa bones – he has a comprehensive collection," Scofield noted.
The project is currently in its early stages, with scientists trying to extract DNA from well-preserved bones and compare it to the genomes of modern birds such as emus and tinamou to identify the genes that gave rise to the moa's unique traits.
The project will be led by Maori scientists to ensure coherence with indigenous knowledge and cultural approaches to environmental restoration.
Recall that earlier this year, biotech startup Colossal Biosciences announced the birth of three wolves resembling the extinct species of dire wolves, for the first time in 12,000 years.