Raphus cucullatus (Dodo)

[Deleted]

Apr 25, 2013 13:15:02 GMT Melanie said:

Here is an interesting animated short film about the Dodo

www.thelonelydodo.com/#videoModal

This is sooo cute and sooo sad.

[surroundx]

Jackson, Andrew. (2013). Added credence for a late Dodo extinction date. Historical Biology, online edition. [abstract]

[Peter]

Sept 30, 2013 5:37:37 GMT surroundx said:

Jackson, Andrew. (2013). Added credence for a late Dodo extinction date. Historical Biology, online edition. [abstract]

Abstract
Considerable controversy surrounds the extinction date for the dodo (Raphus cucullatus), and the last uncontrovertibly confirmed sighting is ascribed to Volkert Evertsz on an islet off Mauritius in 1662. Nevertheless, both Roberts and Solow (2003), using a statistical technique, and Hume et al. (2004), drawing on Lamotius' hunting diaries (1685–1688), place the extinction date as late as 1690 and 1693, respectively. A well-known account of Benjamin Harry from 1681 seems to have been frequently dismissed as unreliable or anecdotal. Our purpose here is to provide new background information on Harry's scientific credentials that adds considerable credence to his 1681 report and thus adds to the likelihood of a late date for the dodo's demise, in agreement with the 1690 lower bound.

[cohiba]

Oct 4, 2013 11:30:04 GMT Peter said:

Sept 30, 2013 5:37:37 GMT surroundx said:

Jackson, Andrew. (2013). Added credence for a late Dodo extinction date. Historical Biology, online edition. [abstract]

Abstract
Considerable controversy surrounds the extinction date for the dodo (Raphus cucullatus), and the last uncontrovertibly confirmed sighting is ascribed to Volkert Evertsz on an islet off Mauritius in 1662. Nevertheless, both Roberts and Solow (2003), using a statistical technique, and Hume et al. (2004), drawing on Lamotius' hunting diaries (1685–1688), place the extinction date as late as 1690 and 1693, respectively. A well-known account of Benjamin Harry from 1681 seems to have been frequently dismissed as unreliable or anecdotal. Our purpose here is to provide new background information on Harry's scientific credentials that adds considerable credence to his 1681 report and thus adds to the likelihood of a late date for the dodo's demise, in agreement with the 1690 lower bound.

Does anyone have the text of the 1681 report?

[Peter]

Oct 4, 2013 12:48:35 GMT cohiba said:

Does anyone have the text of the 1681 report?

Here it is:

MS. Sloane 3668: “A Coppey of m ^r Benj : Harry’s Journall when he was Cheif mate of the Shippe Berkly Castle . Cap^t W^m. Talbot then Comand. on a voyage to the Coste and Bay 1679. w^ch voyage they Winterd att y^e Maurisshes”. July 1681 “Att ^ey Marushes”, fol.107r:

Now having a little respitt I will make a little descripti : of y^e Island first of its Producks and yn of itts parts — ffirst of winged and feathered ffowle bly ye less passant, are Dodos whose fflesh is very hard, a small sort of Gees reasona good Teele, Curleues, Pasea fflemingos, Turtle-Doves large Batts many small Birds w^ch: are good. −

Source: 
ia601205.us.archive.org/22/items/parishdodomisc1a/parishdodomisc1a.pdf.

All formats on Internet Archive: archive.org/details/parishdodomisc1a.

[cohiba]

Thanks Peter!

[another specialist]

My Yorkshire Museum visit

[Melanie]

Bones of extinct flightless DODO set to sell for £30,000 at auction

Leg and pelvis of bird which died out in the mid-17th century up for sale
Remains found in a swamp in Mauritius by a British schoolmaster in 1886
Sale is the first opportunity to buy part of the animal's skeleton since 1934
Flightless creatures were first spotted by Dutch sailors in the Indian Ocean in 1598, but the last sighting was in 1662


Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2498013/Bones-extinct-flightless-DODO-set-sell-30-000-auction.html#ixzz2kLZCsa6n

[surroundx]

Webster, L. M. I. and McEwing, R. (In Press, 2013). Resurrecting the Dodo: Positive control DNA for species identification. Forensic Science International: Genetics Supplement Series. [Abstract]

[surroundx]

Refuge-Effect Hypothesis and the Demise of the Dodo

Abstract

The Dodo was last sighted on the inshore island of Ile d'Ambre in 1662, nearly 25 years after the previous sighting on the mainland of Mauritius. It has been suggested that its survival on the inshore island is representative of the refuge effect. Understanding what constitutes significant persistence is fundamental to conservation. I tested the refuge-effect hypothesis for the persistence of the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) on an inshore island beyond that of the mainland population. For a location to be considered a refuge, most current definitions suggest that both spatial and temporal isolation from the cause of disturbance are required. These results suggest the island was not a refuge for the Dodo because the sighting in 1662 was not temporally isolated from that of the mainland sightings. Furthermore, with only approximately 350 m separating Ile d'Ambre from the mainland of Mauritius, it is unlikely this population of Dodos was spatially isolated.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12134/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

[surroundx]

Oct 13, 2013 8:14:36 GMT Peter said:

Oct 4, 2013 12:48:35 GMT cohiba said:

Does anyone have the text of the 1681 report?

Here it is:

MS. Sloane 3668: “A Coppey of m ^r Benj : Harry’s Journall when he was Cheif mate of the Shippe Berkly Castle . Cap^t W^m. Talbot then Comand. on a voyage to the Coste and Bay 1679. w^ch voyage they Winterd att y^e Maurisshes”. July 1681 “Att ^ey Marushes”, fol.107r:

Now having a little respitt I will make a little descripti : of y^e Island first of its Producks and yn of itts parts — ffirst of winged and feathered ffowle bly ye less passant, are Dodos whose fflesh is very hard, a small sort of Gees reasona good Teele, Curleues, Pasea fflemingos, Turtle-Doves large Batts many small Birds w^ch: are good. −

Source: 
ia601205.us.archive.org/22/items/parishdodomisc1a/parishdodomisc1a.pdf.

All formats on Internet Archive: archive.org/details/parishdodomisc1a.

"Ffirst of winged and feathered ffowle the less passant, are Dodos whose fflesh is very hard." (p.75)

Source: Fuller, Errol. (2002). Dodo: From extinction to icon. London (UK): Collins. 192 pp.

[surroundx]

Dodo, Raphus cucullatus, in the Macleay Museum, The University of Sydney, Australia

Abstract

The article considers the history of the extinct dodo bird, Raphus cucullatus, last known as being alive in 1662. An illustration of the bird drawn circa 1625 at the court of the Mogul Emperor in India is one of the most reliable color depictions of the bird extant. Skeletal remains of dodo birds are found in the museum collection at the British Museum which acquired one hundred bones from excavations done on Mauritius in 1865. The Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney, Australia recovered and identified dodo bones in 1996, which were originally placed in storage in 1917.

Source: connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/86449090/dodo-raphus-cucullatus-macleay-museum-university-sydney-australia

[argentavis]

Dodo in Moscow Paleontological Museum.

[Melanie]

Ria Winters & Julian P. Hume

The dodo, the deer and a 1647 voyage to Japan. In: Historical Biology

Abstract:

More has been written about the iconic Dodo Raphus cucullatus of Mauritius than any other extinct bird, yet despite its familiarity, only a few specimens were exported from Mauritius; individual birds reached Europe alive in 1626 and 1638 and at least two survived a journey to India in 1625. There are also vague records of other exported birds. Here, we provide confirmation based on seventeenth century documents that a live Dodo was sent to Japan in 1647, the last known captive bird, and comment on the details of its long and arduous voyage.



www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2014.884566?src=recsys#.UyRDSIXwrTc

[surroundx]

Abstract

Two recent papers claiming to offer reasons to support a late (1680s+) extinction date for the Dodo Raphus cucullatus base their arguments on information that does not in fact alter the biological and historical facts suggesting extinction on mainland Mauritius in the 1640s and on an offshore refuge in 1662. Recently accessible manuscripts indicating that the Dutch settlers in Mauritius saw no Dodos during 1664–1674 reinforce this view.

Cheke, Anthony S. (2014). Speculation, statistics, facts and the Dodo's extinction date. Historical Biology DOI:10.1080/08912963.2014.904301 [Abstract]

[surroundx]

Heupink, Tim H., van Grouw, Hein and Lambert, David M. (2014). The mysterious Spotted Green Pigeon and its relation to the Dodo and its kindred. BMC Evolutionary Biology 14: 136.

[surroundx]

Hume, Julian Pender et al. (2014). Rediscovery of a lost Lagerstätte: a comparative analysis of the historical and recent Mare aux Songes dodo excavations on Mauritius. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2014.945927 [Abstract]

[Melanie]

The intercultural dodo: a drawing from the School of Bundi, Rājasthān

Emmanuel Richon & Ria Winters

Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology

The iconic dodo Raphus cucullatus once occurred on the isolated Mascarene Island of Mauritius, situated in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Mauritius was once a paradise for a unique flora and fauna that evolved in isolation for 8 million years. The dodo was sought after by seafarers who visited the island from the early sixteenth century onwards because we know from remains surviving in collections and a series of artworks that captive dodos were transported to Europe, India and Japan. This article presents a hitherto unpublished image of a dodo, preserved in the collection of the Trustees, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai, the formerly Prince of Wales Museum of Western India. The bird is situated in a non-Mauritian environment together with other animals and it is named in Hindi. We further explore the background of this creation and its implication on the iconography of the dodo.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08912963.2014.961450?journalCode=ghbi20#.VElU5BZonKc

[Melanie]

Laser Scans Reveal That Famous Dodo Bird Wasn't Actually Fat

The iconic dodo bird apparently looked a lot different than its depiction in popular culture, according to new laser scans of dodo skeletons at the Natural History Museum in Port Louis, Mauritius.

Standing about 3 feet tall, the flightless dodo bird has been extinct since 1693, dying off less than 100 years after the Dutch discovered the Indian Ocean's Mauritius Island. The unusual creature, which stands as the most famous creature to become extinct, has been misunderstood by scientists ever since.

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"The skull of the dodo is so large and its beak so robust that it is easy to understand that the earliest naturalists thought it was related to vultures and other birds of prey, rather than the pigeon family," said researcher Hanneke Meijer of the Catalan Institute of Paleontology in Spain, as quoted by Discovery News.

Scientists used dodo samples from the museum, which holds the only known complete dodo skeleton as well as composite specimens from several birds.

With the aid of 3D scanning, the researchers were able to recreate a dodo bird skeleton that showed how it moved and lived, iO9 reported.

While the dodo has long been portrayed as a fat, waddling creature, the new scans reveal that the bird was likely more graceful than pop culture gives it credit for.

"[The reconstruction] suggests that the 'fat dodo' would have been too heavy for its skeleton to support and would have collapsed," said the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. "A new reconstruction of the dodo is much slimmer and looks more similar to the earliest drawings of the bird."

www.autoworldnews.com/articles/10115/20141107/laser-scans-reveal-that-famous-dodo-bird-wasnt-actually-fat.htm

[Melanie]

Scientists Resurrect The Dodo With 3D Laser Scanning


Scientists Resurrect The Dodo With 3D Laser Scanning

More than three centuries after the last of its species walked on the isle of Mauritius, the skeleton of the dodo bird has been recreated using 3D scanning technology. The virtual model is enabling scientists to reconstruct how it walked, moved and lived to a level of detail that has never been possible before.

Arguably the most famous species that was driven to extinction in human history, the three-foot-tall dodo was killed off mostly by animals such as rats and pigs that were introduced to Mauritius after the Dutch discovered the island in 1598. Sailors ate them too, though they had low regard for the bird's flavor. By 1693, the dodo was no more.

Artist sketches from the era provide some clues as to what the dodo would have looked like when it was still alive. Those artists, however, seem to have been more interested in "depicting plump or colorful animals than recording their true likeness," according to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Measurements of dodo bones have suggested that it was, in fact, a much slimmer bird.

And now, scientists have the opportunity to study the bird's anatomy in unprecedented detail. While many dodo specimens are composites, an international team of researchers was able to gain access to the only known complete skeleton of a single bird, which had been found a century ago by Etienne Thiroux, a barber and amateur collector.

Scientists Resurrect The Dodo With 3D Laser Scanning

"Being able to examine the skeleton of a single, individual dodo, which is not made up from as many individual birds as there are bones, as is the case in all those other composite skeletons, truly allows us to appreciate the way the dodo looked and see how tall or rotund it really was," says Juilan Hume, of the Natural History Museum in London.

The laser scans provide are already providing insights into how the flightless dodo may have evolved its giant size, and how it walked and lived in its forest home. According to Kenneth Rijsdijk, at Amsterdam's Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, "the skull of the dodo [image, top] is so large and its beak so robust, that it is easy to understand that the earliest naturalists thought it was related to vultures and other birds of prey, rather than the pigeon family."

Another point of interest is the dodo's sternum (breastbone). It lacks a large, extended hardened blade of bone (the keel) that serves as an anchor for wing muscles and provides leverage. The dodo's closest known relative — the extinct flightless Rodrigues solitaire — had a keel and was known to have used its wings in combat. As such, the lack of a keel in the dodo skeleton suggests that the birds didn't get into fights with one another.

These ongoing insights, coupled with findings from another recent study about dodo population structure, offer an opportunity to study the bird's evolutionary trajectory — a rapid increase in body size, cut short by the arrival of humans.

"The history of the dodo provides an important case study of the effects of human disturbance of the ecosystem, from which there is still much to learn that can inform modern conservation efforts for today's endangered animals," says College of the Holy Cross paleontologist Leon Claessens.

io9.com/scientists-resurrect-the-dodo-with-3d-laser-scanning-1655899642