Scientists have successfully created a chicken into the world using an artificial egg for the first time, marking a major breakthrough that could help future efforts to revive extinct bird species such as the giant moa.
The development was announced by Colossal Biosciences, which said live chicks were grown inside a capsule designed to function like an artificial egg. The capsule featured a glass top, allowing scientists to monitor the chick’s development over several weeks.
According to the company, the experiment is a key step toward creating a workable system for developing large bird embryos outside natural eggs. That could prove especially important for species like the moa, a giant bird once native to New Zealand’s South Island that went extinct between 1380 and 1445.
The moa is believed to have stood around 12 feet tall, and its eggs were about 80 times larger than a chicken egg. Scientists say such scale makes natural reproduction methods impossible to replicate without advanced artificial incubation technology.
A company official described the moment the chick was removed from the artificial egg as an extraordinary experience, highlighting the significance of the achievement.
Researchers said bringing back extinct species is not only about recovering ancient genomes and cellular processes, but also about building systems that can support embryo development.
Although eggs may appear simple from the outside, they are highly complex structures. Their shells contain thousands of microscopic pores that allow oxygen to pass through while releasing carbon dioxide and moisture.
Previous attempts to create artificial eggs had struggled to deliver enough oxygen to the embryo. The company said this new technology has now overcome that problem, opening the door to broader applications in avian science and de-extinction research.
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