Dodo
The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a large, flightless pigeon of the island of Mauritius, extinct since the late seventeenth century. Dutch sailors first described it in 1598, and it was gone within about a century, making it an icon of human-caused extinction.
The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a large, flightless pigeon of the island of Mauritius, extinct since the late seventeenth century. Dutch sailors first described it in 1598, and it was gone within about a century, making it an icon of human-caused extinction.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Dodo in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
A Giant Flightless Pigeon
DNA from museum specimens showed that the dodo's closest living relative is the Nicobar pigeon. Having evolved on an island without land predators, the bird grew large and lost the ability to fly, as many island birds do.
Why Did It Disappear?
Hunting by sailors, together with introduced pigs, rats and monkeys that raided the ground nests, and clearing of forests, led to its extinction. The last widely accepted sighting was in 1662.
Lessons
The dodo showed that species can vanish quickly after human arrival. The IUCN lists it as Extinct, and it is used in the Red List game as an example of a recently lost species.
Dodo at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Raphus cucullatus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Columbiformes |
| Family | Columbidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia: Aves (Birds) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Extinct flightless island giant, bulbous hooked beak, robust legs, crop physiology. |
| IUCN Red List status | Extinct (EX) |
| Closest living relative | Nicobar pigeon |
See Also
- Biodiversity — extinction and island species
- North Island Brown Kiwi — another flightless island bird