This bird may be doomed. It's genome has been sequenced, and there is very little genetic diversity in the remaining populations.
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This bird may be doomed. It's genome has been sequenced, and there is very little genetic diversity in the remaining populations.
From the linked article: "To avoid this, the researchers are proposing that conservationists consider intensive breeding programs to keep these unique and fascinating birds away from a disappointing end."
Question:
Could some kind of genetic engineering be used to introduce enough diversity into the kiwi genome to give them a chance against that risk (also from the article) that one novel disease could wipe them out?