I was wondering that, too. But: > Shapiro said that she had already completed a key first step in the project — fully sequencing the dodo’s genome from ancient

I was wondering that, too. But: > Shapiro said that she had already completed a key first step in the project — fully sequencing the dodo’s genome from ancient DNA — based on genetic material extracted from dodo remains in Denmark. > The next step was to compare the genetic information with the dodo’s closest bird relatives in the pigeon family — the living Nicobar pigeon, and the extinct Rodrigues solitaire, a giant flightless pigeon that once lived on an island close to Mauritius. It’s a process which would allow them to narrow down which mutations in the genome “make a dodo a dodo,” Shapiro said. (https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/31/world/dodo-bring-back-from-extinction-colossal-scn/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/31/world/dodo-bring-back-fro...) From a technology perspective - due to recent advancements in ancient genome sequencing and synthetic biology methods - I find it's a good time to start such a project. Also note that lots of avian genomes have been sequenced in the last years.