The moa, a large, extinct bird, was native to New ZealandMARK P. WITTON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
The extinct, flightless moas of New Zealand stood over 3 metres tall and weighed over 200 kilograms. Their eggs were larger than those of any living bird – a problem for Colossal Biosciences, which is aiming to bring them back to life. Now, the company claims to have developed an artificial eggshell consisting of a lattice supporting a transparent silicone membrane, which it says will enable it to create eggs as large as those of the moa.
Is this the first-ever artificial bird egg?
Colossal does use the term “artificial egg” in its press release, but it is really just an artificial eggshell. Either way, it isn’t a first – in fact, it’s possible to remove chicken eggs from their shells and hatch them from anything from plastic cups to cling film. However, the survival rate is usually low because, without an eggshell, the developing chicks may not get enough oxygen. A number of teams around the world have been working on more sophisticated so-called ex-ovo approaches.
How much better is it than cling film?
