Indigenous-led initiative to resurrect the South Island Giant Moa
New Zealand’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, based at the University of Canterbury, has announced a strategic partnership with Texas-based genetic engineering company Colossal Biosciences and filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson to resurrect the extinct South Island Giant Moa and other culturally significant species. The ambitious initiative, directed entirely by the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, establishes a new global model for Indigenous-led scientific collaboration, integrating traditional knowledge with cutting-edge genetic engineering technologies.
“We are honoured to contribute our advanced computational and genetic engineering capabilities under the direction of the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre,” said Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences. “This partnership represents a new model where Indigenous leadership guides scientific endeavours, recognising that traditional ecological knowledge and cultural context are essential to responsible de-extinction and species preservation efforts. There is so much knowledge that will be unlocked and shared.”
The South Island Giant Moa (Dinornis robustus), which stood up to 3.6 m tall and weighed approximately 230 kg, went extinct approximately 600 years ago following Polynesian settlement. As large herbivores, these remarkable birds played crucial ecological roles in New Zealand’s ecosystems for millions of years — from shaping vegetation structure and composition to influencing plant distribution patterns.
The new partnership aims to combine scientific rigor with Māori values, beginning with ancient DNA recovery and genomic analysis, followed by gene identification and development of reproductive technologies. Colossal Biosciences plans to sequence and rebuild genomes for all nine moa species, and will develop additional genetic studies across related bird species. The company will also develop conservation initiatives for existing threatened species, including the creation of a genetic repository of culturally significant plants and animals.
“By studying ancient DNA, we can gain insights into how these keystone species shaped New Zealand’s unique biodiversity and apply these lessons to strengthen the resilience of modern ecosystems facing climate change and habitat loss,” said Dr Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s Chief Science Officer.
Jackson, who previously invested $10 million in Colossal’s de-extinction projects, said he was delighted to be a partner on the new initiative, particularly following the company’s recent resurrection of the dire wolf. “There’s a lot of science still to be done, but we can start looking forward to the day when birds like the moa or the huia are rescued from the darkness of extinction,” he said.
The technology developed through the partnership will be open-sourced and made available for conservation purposes at the direction of the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, so that the benefits extend beyond New Zealand to global conservation efforts. According to collaborating scientist Paul Scofield, Senior Curator Natural History at Canterbury Museum and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canterbury, “This Ngāi Tahu Research Centre-led initiative will drive new historical, ecological and scientific discoveries on the path to recreating moa. The knowledge gained will be beneficial to all of New Zealand, to conservation, and the world.”
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