Scientists are currently planning to sequence the genomes of every living kakapo on the planet, according to Engadget. The species, with is critically endangered with only 125 individuals left, is the heaviest parrot species in the world and the only one that lacks the ability to fly. A team of researchers are launching the project in order to help to species get their numbers back and gain more insight into to susceptibility of the animals to various diseases.
The team has already sequenced one female kakapo's genome and is in the process of gathering DNA from 40 other animals, each of which will eventually be sequenced by New Zealand Genomics Ltd., with a planned completion date of March. If the team is successful, it will mark the first time that the entire genome of an animal population is sequenced, according to Radio New Zealand National.
"The questions we can answer will be limited only by our imagination," said Bruce Robertson, a member of the research team. "As with the human genome project, we'll be mining this for many years to come, and new and novel things will come out of it."
Kakapos live very long, with an average life expectancy of 95 years, and typically mate every three to five years. If the project is a success, it could very well get the species back on track and lead to a simulation in their numbers. Their decimation spans back to when European and Polynesian colonizers brought predators along with them, making them vulnerable due to the fact that they live on the ground.
The team is funding their project through crowdfunding and is hoping to raise $45,000 to fund the study; they are currently more than halfway towards reaching their goal, according to BBC News.
