Exciting genetic discovery will bring back the extinct uncle bird over 300 years ago?

A group of scientists have succeeded in sequencing the genome of one of the most famous and popular extinct animals and they are seriously considering bringing it back to life

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02/04/2022

Saturday, 02 April 2022, 23:40

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Will the mammoth step on the earth again?

(Photo: Reuters, Editing: Gadi Winstock, Narration: Aviv Abramovich)

The uncle bird became so extinct in the 17th century that it became the "poster girl" of human extinction by humans and the phrase "dead like his uncle" became a familiar proverb in the English language for centuries.

But maybe it's time to change it and get ready to get to know the famous chicken again - thanks to an amazing breakthrough of DNA.

Scientists have been able to successfully sequence the entire genome of the uncle bird - meaning it can be successfully cloned in the future.

According to the Telegraph, experts could theoretically edit Yona's DNA to include that of his uncle, since both sexes have a fairly similar genetic structure.

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To the full article

Why did the uncle bird become extinct?

The year is 1601. The golden age of the Netherlands.

The Dutch settlers come to Mauritius and discover a new bird that they have never met, but it looks quite tasty to them.

They hunt it down, eat its meat and destroy its habitats as they expand their colony further and further.

Not only them, but also the pets that brought with them the settlers prey on the eggs of the bird and its chicks.

And so the Dutch and their pets are enough to exterminate the bird in less than 100 years.

This is a short story, and it was indeed a short story, of the uncle bird.

The last bird was seen in 1681 and since then its traces have been lost without a trace.

This story, which testifies to the folly and greed of human beings, is one of the reasons why the cousin chicken is one of the most famous and popular extinct animals.

But not only did history make his uncle famous - but also the name he came up with.

It is said that his uncle was not a particularly clever chicken, who did not learn to run away from humans when they tried to harm him.

Hence by the way, his name.

The word "uncle" in Portuguese means "fool and fool".

Illustration of Dudu birds in the forest (Photo: ShutterStock, Aunt Spray)

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Apparently his uncle was indeed a chicken that did not excel in intelligence, but also the physical structure that did not contribute much.

It was a large, heavy bird with short wings and legs and was therefore unable to fly or run fast.

Add to that that his reproduction was also low, and you got a bird with very little luck.

Despite everything, one can find his uncle represented in the products of human culture.

He appears in the book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", and some claim that he symbolizes Lewis Carroll himself, the author of the book.

It also bears the emblem of the Republic of Mauritius.

Besides, he also became a symbol of wit and a symbol of stupidity.

The story of the chicken also carries with it two lessons: the first is of course our lesson as human beings and the damage we are capable of causing to the environment when we behave greedily and selfishly, like the Dutch settlers.

The second lesson is the lesson of his uncle, who probably in humans as if he were his friends, was a fool, and paid for it with his life.

And now - is he going to come back?

Dudu bird (Photo: Giphy)

The latest discovery of his uncle's DNA sample was the last part needed to complete the genome of the extinct bird, a team of biological researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz announced.

Beth Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the university, told viewers at an online seminar of the Royal Society that her team of researchers would publish the full genetic sequence at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

Shapiro confirmed the breakthrough following pressure from the crowd.

"Yeah, the uncle's genome is completely tidy because we've paved it. It's not published yet, but it exists and we're working on it now," she said.

Skeleton of a 16th Century Dudu Bird (Photo: GettyImages, Leon Neal)

In recent years there has been a buzz in the evolutionary research community about the potential for reconstructing other prehistoric species, such as the woolly mammoth that became extinct about 4,000 years ago and scientists have been discussing this possibility since its full genome was restored in 2015.

That same year, Shapiro's book "How to Duplicate a Mammoth" revealed her aspirations for the return of her uncle: "More than any other species, the uncle is the international symbol of man-made extinction," she wrote at the time.

But returning his uncle poses unique challenges, Shapiro explained to conference attendees.

"It's simpler with mammals," she said, referring to cloning in the same way it was used to create the sheep dolly.

"But we do not know how to do it with birds because of the complexity of their reproductive system. So we need to adopt a different approach to bird cloning," she explained, adding that she has "little doubt we are really going to get there."

According to the proposal, the DNA of the bird that is genetically closest to its uncle, the Hankover pigeon, can be edited to include its uncle's DNA.

Although the result will not be 100 percent uncle bird in this case.

The New York Post reported that of all the animals that need to be returned from extinction - his uncle has a strong case because a suitable tropical habitat can be easily located for him today and in addition - he is harmless.

"The uncle is a popular bird and she's the one you can make arguments for bringing back," said Harvard University genetics professor Prof. George Church, "but if you bring the T-Rex back to life, for example, it would not be particularly popular because It will cause rioting and destruction. "

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