Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A bird found in India’s Nicobar Islands could help scientists bring back the dodo, a flightless species that disappeared more than 300 years ago.
The Nicobar pigeon, native to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and other parts of Southeast Asia, is considered the dodo’s closest living relative and is now at the centre of an ambitious attempt to recreate some of the extinct bird’s defining features.
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Behind this effort is Colossal Biosciences, a US biotechnology company, that announced progress towards this goal, using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify genetic changes that may have shaped the dodo’s distinctive appearance.
The Dallas-based company said its AI platform, GenoMorph, had identified potential targets for gene editing, focusing on features such as the dodo’s large, hooked beak and distinctive skull shape.
Colossal has completed about 95% of the dodo’s genome, its collection of genetic instructions, news agency Reuters reported.
However, the project remains experimental, with significant scientific hurdles still to overcome.
HOW COULD INDIA’S NICOBAR PIGEON HELP?
The Nicobar pigeon is a bird with shimmering green and copper feathers and a distinctive white tail. It inhabits islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, making it an important part of India’s island biodiversity.
The bird’s genetic relationship with the dodo makes it valuable to researchers attempting to recreate traits of the extinct species.
Scientists plan to introduce selected dodo-like genetic changes into the pigeon’s cells, with the aim of producing a bird that resembles the dodo in important ways.
Colossal’s chief science officer, Beth Shapiro, told news agency Reuters that GenoMorph studied how skulls and beaks develop across more than 70 living bird species. The platform helped identify around 2,300 potential genetic targets linked to the dodo’s beak and facial structure.
“These targets are now being validated in the lab,” Shapiro said, indicating that the proposed changes still need testing.
The Nicobar pigeon is itself a conservation priority.
India’s Central Zoo Authority describes the bird as endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and asserts its importance as the dodo’s closest surviving relative.
The dodo lived on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, and went extinct during the 17th century following human arrival. Hunting, habitat disruption and introduced animals that preyed on its eggs contributed to its disappearance.
Colossal is also working with scientists and conservation groups in Mauritius on habitat restoration and possible reintroduction plans.
Even if the research succeeds, the result would not necessarily be an exact recreation of the original dodo.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
