In 1976, a scientist began dancing like a crane every day; the chick it helped produce became an ancestor to 178 endangered birds

A whooping crane named Gee Whiz died at age thirty-eight, leaving behind many offspring. His mother, Tex, imprinted on humans and required a scientist's unique courtship efforts. George Archibald danced with Tex for years, which eventually led to Gee Whiz's birth. Gee Whiz became a patriarch, fathering 178 genetically diverse whooping cranes. This effort significantly aided the species' recovery from near extinction.