The changing face of the dodo (Aves: Columbidae:Raphus cucullatus): iconography of the Walghvogel of Mauritius

The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a large, flightless pigeon endemic to the island of Mauritius (Indian Ocean). Its unusual appearance was recorded in several 17th-century depictions of live or recently killed birds. It became extinct at the end of the 17th century, and in some subsequent accounts, it was even considered as non-existent. Dodo images became rare from the mid-17th century, but its inclusion in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland initiated a change, establishing it as an icon to a much wider public. Since then, illustrations of dodos have been used in all kinds of media, arguably making it the most iconic extinct bird. Here we analyse how the dodo image evolved from 1600 to 2013, using 2D-geometric morphometrics. Our results show that in particular cartoons, animations and logos tend to put an extreme emphasis on the bulging anterior part of the beak, and that the beak is strongly hooked. The variation in dodo images has increased since 1865, culminating in an explosion of shapes during the past decades. The often exaggerated, cartoonesque depiction of the dodo is in line with the long-held but incorrect popular belief that it was a clumsy, tragic bird destined for extinction

A Review of the Dodo and its Ecosystem: Interdisciplinary Research of a Vertebrate Concentration-Lagerstätte in Mauritius

The dodo Raphus cucullatus Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per Tegna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tenth Edition. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, 824 pp., an extinct and flightless, giant pigeon endemic to Mauritius, has fascinated people since its discovery, yet has remained surprisingly poorly known. Until the mid-19th century, almost all that was known about the dodo was based on illustrations and written accounts by 17th century mariners, often of questionable accuracy. Furthermore, only a few fragmentary remains of dodos collected prior to the bird's extinction exist. Our understanding of the dodo's anatomy was substantially enhanced by the discovery in 1865 of subfossil bones in a marsh called the Mare aux Songes, situated in southeastern Mauritius. However, no contextual information was recorded during early excavation efforts, and the majority of excavated material comprised larger dodo bones, almost all of which were unassociated. Here we present a modern interdisciplinary analysis of the Mare aux Songes, a 4200-year-old multitaxic vertebrate concentration Lagerstätte. Our analysis of the deposits at this site provides the first detailed overview of the ecosystem inhabited by the dodo. The interplay of climatic and geological conditions led to the exceptional preservation of the animal and associated plant remains at the Mare aux Songes and provides a window into the past ecosystem of Mauritius. This interdisciplinary research approach provides an ecological framework for the dodo, complementing insights on its anatomy derived from the only associated dodo skeletons known, both of which were collected by Etienne Thirioux and are the primary subject of this memoir