"If the dodo were to be brought back, it could be restored to protected habitats on Mauritius, where people could go to observe dodos in their native habitat," she says in an interview with Smithsonian Magazine. She has expressed interest in the possibility of bringing back the dodo. Earlier this year, she said the dodo had been completely sequenced, although results haven't yet been published. Among other animals, her work has focused on the dodo. Scientists Might Try To Bring Them BackĮvolutionary biologist, Beth Shapiro, travels to remote locations seeking fossils from which to extract the DNA of long-extinct animals. This is unusual among birds, who typically rely on vision. Dodos also had a large olfactory bulb for enhanced smelling capabilities. Research shows that their brain-to-body size relationship suggests moderate intelligence levels. Some synonyms for the word "dodo" are "ignoramus," "dummy," "moron" and "dull." But dodos were not stupid. The generally accepted extinction date is 1662, although, in 2013, researchers put the date as late as 1690. These animals destroyed nests and ate the eggs while humans damaged the forests that the dodos lived in. The little dodo is the national bird of Samoa. According to surveys carried out, there are only about 200 little dodos in existence. The animals the settlers brought with them, including rats, monkeys, dogs, sheep and pigs, were responsible for decimating the dodo population. As beautiful as it sounds, the little dodo is on the brink of extinction. Despite popular belief, settlers didn't like the taste of the dodo bird, and the dodo population decrease wasn't the result of the birds being consumed. That is, as mentioned above, until a Dutch settlement arrived. Extinctionįor many years, the dodo had all the food needed to survive and thrive on Mauritius and lived without threats. As people began inhabiting the area and killing the dodo, the population never recovered and eventually went extinct. The dodo population thrived until Dutch settlements started at Mauritius in 1638. Since they were flightless, they would build their nests on the ground and surround them with grass. While many birds lay more than one egg at a time, it has been speculated from witness reports that a female dodo would lay only one egg at a time. Other birds who once flew but evolved into non-fliers include penguins and ostriches. Without the need for flight to escape predators, dodos adapted to grow larger and eliminated the ability to fly. This is most likely a result of evolutionary biology. Most notably, their wings were too short and their pectoral muscles weren't strong enough to fly. Weighing about 50 pounds, it sported a big head, large hooked-tipped bill and short legs. Dodos lived on the Indian island of Mauritius and are descendants of Asian pigeons.
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