3,300-Year-Old Claw Of Wild Bird Vanishing From Earth 700 Years Ago Has Been Found, Is This The Right Time To Clone It?

Nowadays, humans have been expanding their knowledge and being able to explain many things they used to wonder about in the past. No matter how much we know, however, our knowledge covers just a little part of the entire planet. Some rare find shows that we are just starting to discover the world's secrets. That's why every single detail scientists and archaeologists manage to discover always sounds interesting to all of us.
An exciting finding was made three decades ago when an archaeology team explored a cave system on Mount Owen, New Zealand. A perfectly preserved claw was discovered, with flesh and muscles attached to it.
The claw looked very much like a claw of a dinosaur, but further study claimed that it belonged to a kind of giant bird called moa, which disappear from the Earth 700-800 years ago. The leg was believed to come from a moa that lived 3,300 years ago. Have a look at the enigmatic claw:

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Research on the Internet showed that moa first appeared around 8.5 million years ago, including 11 sub-species. The two largest species were estimated to be 12 feet tall with their neck outstretched, and weigh about 510 lb. The smallest species was as large as a turkey. Pictures below can help you figure out their size compared to humans.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Moa birds can't fly and are flightless. They used to live in forests and mountains in New Zealand. According to Science.org, these animals became extinct 700 years ago, coinciding with the time humans first arrived on Earth. It's hard to say whether we alone drive these giant birds to extinction, or whether there are other factors such as disease or volcanic eruption. However, back in the day, humans have been hunting moa for food and clothes.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

“The inescapable conclusion is these birds were not senescent, not in the old age of their lineage and about to exit from the world. Rather they were robust, healthy populations when humans encountered and terminated them,” said evolutionary biologist Trevor Worthy

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Now, as a mysterious claw was discovered, people online were invited to a debate that whether this is the right time to clone it. Here are some of the opinions.