Overview

• Colossal and the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre have started extracting ancient moa remains from private and museum collections to recover viable DNA fragments.
• Researchers have assembled a tinamou-based reference genome and aim to complete sequences for all nine moa species by summer 2026.
• Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh’s $15 million funding marks Colossal’s first major avian de-extinction effort following its dire wolf announcement in April.
• Scientists face unique hurdles in bird embryo development and surrogate host selection that differ significantly from mammalian cloning methods.
• Outside experts remain skeptical of the project’s technical feasibility and warn it could divert resources from conserving currently endangered species.