If something is said to be dead as a dodo, it means something is no longer active or obsolete. It refers to the now-extinct bird ‘dodo’ that was roughly twice the size of a turkey. Dodo is also a slang term for a stupid, dull-witted person.
The dodo lived on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. The bird was not scared of humans and couldn’t fly, so it was hunted by sailors, taken to their ships, and kept alive for fresh meat. The Portuguese named the bird ‘doudo’ which means stupid.
Dodos were caught and eaten into extinction during the 17th Century, within less than a century it was first seen.
Now, a genetic engineering company Colossal Biosciences is trying to resurrect the extinct dodo bird after more than 360 years since anyone has seen a dodo.
Dallas-based biotechnology start-up Colossal Biosciences has already raised more than $200 million to support its “de-extinction” activities.
Colossal Biosciences is the first “de-extinction unicorn,” with a valuation – said to be over $1 billion before bringing back a single lost species.
The dodo is the third extinct animal on the de-extinction to-do list of Colossal Biosciences. Earlier, in March last year, the start-up announced that it would bring back the woolly mammoth, and in August added the Tasmanian tiger or the thylacine to the list.
