One of the world's only two complete dodo skulls reveals new clues about the extinct bird
Only two complete dodo skulls are known to exist anywhere in the world: one at the Natural History Museum Denmark and one at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The specimen housed in Copenhagen has been preserved in the museum's collections for centuries and has now contributed to an international study led by researchers at the University of Lethbridge in Canada investigating a…
Only two complete dodo skulls remain in existence worldwide: one at Denmark's Natural History Museum and another at Oxford University's Museum of Natural History. Danish researchers, led by the University of Lethbridge in Canada, have utilized one of these skulls to uncover insights into the dodo's sensory abilities. By digitally recreating the space once occupied by the bird's brain, they have garnered new information about how the dodo perceived its surroundings.
The study reveals that the dodo's sensory experiences likely differed from those of modern pigeons and doves. It may have exhibited a more flexible daily routine, possibly even venturing into dawn and dusk, boasted an enhanced sense of smell, and possessed a more developed ability to process tactile information through its large upper beak.
These findings provide new clues regarding the dodo's foraging habits and interactions with its environment on the island of Mauritius prior to its disappearance in the late 17th century.
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