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Entry 627Filed under Breeding

Is the Dodo Coming Back? What the Science—and Other De-Extinction Projects—Actually Show

The dodo has not been brought back. Colossal’s reported pigeon-cell and chicken-surrogate work are enabling steps toward a possible engineered proxy, not proof of a dodo birth or a confirmed timeline.
6-minute read By Animalso Team
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No—the dodo is not back, and no living dodo or successfully produced dodo-like bird has been reported. Colossal Biosciences describes a project to engineer a dodo-like proxy using cells from living relatives and developing avian reproductive technologies, but its reported milestones are enabling steps, not proof that the full process works.

The key distinction is between a project goal and a completed result. Any future engineered bird would be a proxy—not an identical recreation of the extinct dodo—and its conservation value would depend on animal welfare, habitat, local governance, and whether it could contribute responsibly in Mauritius.

What “bringing back the dodo” currently means

The dodo, Raphus cucullatus, was a flightless bird found only on Mauritius. Historical accounts differ on when it disappeared: estimates range from 1681 to around 1690. It became extinct after people and introduced animals transformed its island environment.

Colossal Biosciences and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation announced a partnership on 22 November 2023. The foundation described plans for groundwork in Mauritius, restoration of critical ecosystems through invasive-species removal and revegetation, community awareness, and investigation of whether methods developed for the dodo could assist pink-pigeon genetic rescue. These are stated plans, not evidence that habitat is ready, a release is approved, or a self-sustaining population is feasible.

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Colossal identifies the Nicobar pigeon as the dodo’s closest living relative and says the extinct Rodrigues solitaire may inform genetic comparisons. Its proposed route is to compare genomes, identify genetic changes associated with dodo traits, culture and edit cells from living relatives, develop interspecies surrogacy, and ultimately incubate offspring. This is genetic engineering of a living relative, not cloning a preserved dodo cell.

Colossal has described long-term pigeon primordial germ-cell culture and gene-edited chicken surrogates that do not make their own germ cells. The company has also stated a five-to-seven-year path to seeing a dodo-like bird return. That is a company projection, not an independently validated forecast or confirmed birth date.

What the pigeon-cell milestone does—and does not—show

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are early cells that can develop into sperm or eggs. Colossal’s publication index lists a 2025 preprint on long-term rock-dove PGC culture and a 2026 paper describing a chromosome-level Nicobar pigeon reference genome. These are relevant enabling work, but neither listing demonstrates a dodo-like bird.

Bird reproduction presents species-specific technical challenges. As Colossal’s moa project page explains, a surrogate’s egg size and nutritional content must suit the species it carries. The company identifies multiplex editing and interspecies surrogacy as work still to advance. Progress with one bird species does not establish that the complete dodo pipeline works.

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Evidence or claim What it supports What it does not establish
Long-term pigeon PGC culture reported by Colossal An enabling reproductive-cell platform A dodo embryo, hatchling, or breeding population
Gene-edited chicken surrogates reported by Colossal A company-reported step toward interspecies surrogacy That a surrogate can produce a dodo-like bird
Five-to-seven-year timeline stated by Colossal The company’s projected path A confirmed or independently validated birth date
Genome papers listed by Colossal Relevant research outputs to examine Proof that the full project pipeline works

A dodo-like proxy is not an identical dodo

In 2023, molecular biologist Beth Shapiro told the Associated Press that “it’s not possible to recreate a 100% identical copy of something that’s gone.” The proposed approach uses a living relative and selected genetic changes, rather than an intact dodo cell. Use terms such as dodo-like bird or engineered proxy for a hypothetical future animal.

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Genes matter, but so do development and environment. The environment has changed since the dodo lived, and a future proxy would not automatically reproduce the extinct animal’s full biology, behavior, or ecological role. The relevant question is not simply whether selected traits can be edited, but which genes make a dodo a dodo and what conservation purpose a proxy could serve.

What other de-extinction projects can show

Colossal’s South Island giant moa initiative describes a related avian toolkit: genome comparison, PGC culture, genome editing, and interspecies surrogacy. Its account highlights the need to match a surrogate’s egg size and nutritional content to the species being carried. That illustrates why avian reproduction is a distinct technical challenge; it does not validate the dodo project.

Question for comparison Why it matters
How mature is the reproductive technology for the animal group? A cell-culture result is not the same as a viable offspring.
Are the living relatives and surrogates biologically suitable? Relatedness alone does not guarantee that development or gestation will work.
Can the relevant traits be predicted and edited? Complex traits may not follow from a small, known set of changes.
Are habitat, welfare, governance, and long-term conservation goals addressed? A technical milestone alone does not establish a responsible release or conservation benefit.

Other projects may use overlapping tools, but their maturity and constraints differ. A milestone in one species does not show that another extinct species can be recreated or responsibly released.

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Concerns and unresolved questions

The Associated Press reported concerns from outside scientists that de-extinction could divert attention and money from protecting living species, that ecosystems have changed, and that captive-bred animals may struggle to adapt to the wild, particularly without social learning from their own kind. These are concerns to weigh, not proof that every project will fail.

Stuart Pimm, an ecologist at Duke University, told the Associated Press: “There’s a real hazard in saying that if we destroy nature, we can just put it back together again — because we can’t.” Boris Worm, a biologist at Dalhousie University, said: “Preventing species from going extinct in the first place should be our priority, and in most cases, it’s a lot cheaper.”

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The real dodo test is Mauritius

If a dodo-like bird is ever produced, the laboratory will only have cleared an early gate. The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation’s partnership announcement describes ecosystem restoration and local awareness as part of the work. Release suitability, habitat readiness, and a self-sustaining population remain unestablished.

  1. Habitat: What restored habitats could support the birds, and how do those places differ from the dodo’s historical environment?
  2. Invasive species and other threats: A credible plan would need to address threats over the long term, not assume that a one-time intervention is enough.
  3. Animal welfare: Editing, surrogacy, hatchling care, and social development would need careful monitoring and clear safeguards.
  4. Ecological function: Any claim about a proxy’s role should be tested, with safeguards against harm to the changed ecosystem.
  5. Governance and consent: Mauritian institutions and communities should have meaningful authority, alongside permits, consultation, long-term financing, and accountability.

The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation also described investigating whether dodo-related methods could assist pink-pigeon genetic rescue. Separately, the Colossal Foundation describes a proposed pink-pigeon effort using museum specimens to identify lost genetic variation and applying germ-cell culture and editing. These are proposed conservation applications, not evidence that population resilience has already increased.

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How to assess future announcements

  1. Identify the actual result. A cell-culture experiment, edited cell line, embryo, first animal, and breeding population are different milestones.
  2. Check the evidence. Look for peer-reviewed work, methods, data, outside replication, and clear reporting of attempts—not only successful outcomes.
  3. Ask whether it is a proxy. If an animal is made from a living relative, describe that relationship precisely rather than assuming it is the extinct species.
  4. Look for the conservation plan. A conservation claim should address habitat, animal welfare, local governance, monitoring, and what would make release inappropriate.

Better avian reproductive tools could be useful for living endangered birds, and habitat restoration in Mauritius can matter whether or not a dodo-like proxy is ever produced. For now, the evidence supports a developing project with reported intermediate milestones—not a dodo’s return.

Further reading

Beth Shapiro’s How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction is relevant background on de-extinction. It is not evidence that a project timeline or outcome is validated.

FAQ

Has a dodo been brought back?

No source reviewed reports a living dodo or a successfully produced dodo-like bird. Colossal’s reported work concerns enabling steps in a proposed project.

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Would a future bird be an identical dodo?

No. The proposed method involves genetic engineering of a living relative, so a future animal would be an engineered proxy, not an identical copy of the extinct dodo.

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When does Colossal expect a dodo-like bird?

Colossal stated a five-to-seven-year path to seeing a dodo-like bird return. This is the company’s projection, not an independently validated forecast or confirmed birth date.

Why is Mauritius important to the project?

A proxy’s conservation value would depend on suitable habitat, threats, welfare, local governance, and long-term management. The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation has described restoration and community-awareness plans, but those do not establish release readiness.

The Bottom Line

The dodo is not back. Colossal has reported pigeon germ-cell and chicken-surrogate milestones and has described a proposed route toward a dodo-like proxy. Whether that route can produce a healthy bird with a responsible conservation role in Mauritius remains unresolved.

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