Dallas-based biotech firm Colossal Biosciences announced this month that it is using a newly developed machine-learning platform called GenoMorph to identify genetic targets for reviving the extinct dodo bird. The software analyzes genetic data from living birds during embryonic development, combining it with genomes and skull measurements from more than 70 bird species to pinpoint DNA regions linked to the iconic bird’s beak and facial structure.
Mapping the Dodo Genome with GenoMorph
The dodo, a flightless bird native to Mauritius, went extinct in the 17th century after human settlement. Recreating its unique traits presents a genomic challenge. Scientists have access to only one high-quality dodo genome, a stark contrast to the data available for other de-extinction projects like the woolly mammoth.
reconstructing extinct animals is basically a data problem. Colossal Biosciences just launched an AI platform called GenoMorph AI to figure out gene targets for species with barely any genomic records left.they pointed it at their dodo program and it's already flagged over 2300… pic.twitter.com/iGhaHwsU6O
Ancient DNA is always broken into small pieces, leaving gaps that prevent traditional comparative genomics. GenoMorph bridges that gap. Instead of comparing multiple genomes from the same extinct species, the software studies how skulls and beaks develop across more than 70 living bird species. It learns which genetic switches control their shape, yielding a shortlist of about 2,300 candidate regions linked to beak size, thickness, and structure.
The challenge was scientists only have one complete dodo genome, making it difficult to distinguish the genetic differences that made the dodo unique from ordinary genetic variation,
Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm told Reuters. GenoMorph effectively acts as a ‘treasure map’ for the dodo genome, narrowing hundreds of thousands of possible genetic changes into the targets most likely to explain its iconic beak and facial structure.
Targeting the Nicobar Pigeon for Gene Editing
Colossal’s broader work focuses on de-extinction of species by editing the DNA of living relatives. For the dodo, the company selected the Nicobar pigeon, a Southeast Asian island native known for its shimmering green and copper plumage. Scientists plan to perform gene-editing to introduce dodo traits into the cells of the pigeon.
Colossal is in the final stages of its analysis of the dodo genome, now filled to 95 percent. The firm also reported technical progress in avian gene-editing delivery using lipid nanoparticles alongside cellular advancements with the Nicobar pigeon. The targets identified by GenoMorph serve as candidates for laboratory validation rather than confirmed determinants of specific morphology.
Company leadership remains realistic about the hurdles ahead. The big hurdles ahead are proving which genetic changes really matter, making many of those edits in a bird and passing them to the next generation, and preparing a safe home for dodos on Mauritius,
Lamm stated.
Unresolved Timelines and Environmental Restoration
While the machine-learning platform accelerates the identification phase, no timeline for a living dodo has been announced. Chief Science Officer Beth Shapiro explained that the newly identified targets are currently undergoing laboratory validation. The process requires proving that specific edits produce desired physical traits.
Beyond molecular engineering, returning the species to the wild demands ecological intervention. The dodo’s extinction on Mauritius was driven by human settlement and the introduction of invasive species like rats. Establishing a sustainable population requires both genetic resurrection and habitat preparation.
