Lmst

#diedout

The #dodo #Raphus #cucullatus (#Columbidae), lived on #Mauritius and was discovered during a Dutch expedition in 1598. This #flightless, ground-nesting #bird #diedout by 1690 due to introduced #predators, as it lacked #defensivebehavior. A research project aims to #recreate it based on its and the #genome of its closest living relative. D. Angst et al. (2017) found #ecological aspects from #bonehistology studies.
©#StefanFWirth 2025

Ref
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08536-3

#Pictures
©S.F.Wirth,AI assisted

Artistic illustration of an adult and a juvenile (the latter's colors based on my fantasy only) dodo while feeding on palm fruits.
The ground dwelling bird dodo, extinct by about 1690 on the island Mauritius had a size of about 1 meter, a weight of about 17 kg and a beak of 23 cm. A 2017 study (see my article) found due to bone histology that it was breeding in August and that chicks were fast growing to reach a larger size, before the austral summer began.

Attempts to recreate it based on some of won gene fragments and the genome of a closely related living bird will face the problem that the result might not know dodo specific behaviors.

© Stefan F. Wirth, Berlin December 2025, artistic illustration created with AI assistance and manual digital editing.

Adult dodo in frontal view on a meadow in front of the sea shore on Mauritius before sunset feeding on palm fruits.
The ground dwelling bird dodo, extinct by about 1690 on the island Mauritius had a size of about 1 meter, a weight of about 17 kg and a beak of 23 cm. A 2017 study (see my article) found due to bone histology that it was breeding in August and that chicks were fast growing to reach a larger size, before the austral summer began.
© Stefan F. Wirth, Berlin December 2025, artistic illustration created with AI assistance and manual digital editing.

An adult dodo in back view in late afternoon walking towards fallen fruits underneath a palm tree close to the sea.
The ground dwelling bird dodo, extinct by about 1690 on the island Mauritius had a size of about 1 meter, a weight of about 17 kg and a beak of 23 cm. A 2017 study (see my article) found due to bone histology that it was breeding in August and that chicks were fast growing to reach a larger size, before the austral summer began.
© Stefan F. Wirth, Berlin December 2025, artistic illustration created with AI assistance and manual digital editing.

Adult dodo in side view after feeding on palm fruits on island Mauritius in front of the sea shore on a meadow.
The ground dwelling bird dodo, extinct by about 1690 on the island Mauritius had a size of about 1 meter, a weight of about 17 kg and a beak of 23 cm. A 2017 study (see my article) found due to bone histology that it was breeding in August and that chicks were fast growing to reach a larger size, before the austral summer began.
© Stefan F. Wirth, Berlin December 2025, artistic illustration created with AI assistance and manual digital editing.

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