@colossal: This is beak performance. This “pas de deux” is being performed inside our GenoMorph software. GenoMorph isn’t actually software for choreographing bird skulls. Think of it more as software for decoding the choreography of bird skulls. Let us explain. GenoMorph uses a slew of data from living birds to help us make inferences about how regulatory DNA (the genetic switches that control when, where and how strongly genes turn on) shapes physical features… like the skulls and beaks of birds. This helps our scientists identify candidate genetic edits that could help reconstruct key aspects of the dodo’s anatomy in the Nicobar pigeon. Just one of the many, many processes involved in de-extinction. It’s a complicated science, but that’s half the fun. The other half is making skulls dance. #dodo #skulls #deextinction #colossal