㰀琀搀 瘀愀氀椀最渀㴀琀漀瀀 挀漀氀猀瀀愀渀㴀㈀㸀㰀⼀琀搀㸀
㰀瀀㸀䴀漀猀琀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 戀攀氀椀攀瘀攀 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀 搀漀搀漀 眀愀猀 愀 昀愀琀Ⰰ 甀渀最愀椀渀氀礀 戀椀爀搀Ⰰ
which died out because it was too slow to escape when hunted. 䤀猀 琀栀椀猀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 琀爀甀攀㼀㰀⼀瀀㸀
What did the Dodo look like? 㰀戀㸀㰀⼀戀㸀
There is very little solid evidence of the dodo’s appearance. 吀栀攀 栀攀愀搀 愀渀搀 昀漀漀琀 椀渀 琀栀攀 䴀甀猀攀甀洀 爀攀瀀爀攀猀攀渀琀 琀栀攀 洀漀猀琀 挀漀洀瀀氀攀琀攀
remains of a single dodo. Many other museums have dodo skeletons, 戀甀琀 琀栀攀猀攀 愀爀攀 挀漀洀瀀漀猀椀琀攀猀Ⰰ 洀愀搀攀 甀瀀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 戀漀渀攀猀 漀昀 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀
birds. 㰀瀀㸀䈀攀昀漀爀攀 琀栀攀 愀搀瘀攀渀琀 漀昀 瀀栀漀琀漀最爀愀瀀栀礀Ⰰ 椀洀愀最攀猀 漀昀 愀渀椀洀愀氀猀 眀攀爀攀
recorded by artists who often had no specialist knowledge 漀昀 渀愀琀甀爀愀氀 栀椀猀琀漀爀礀⸀ 䐀甀爀椀渀最 琀栀攀 㜀琀栀 䌀攀渀琀甀爀礀Ⰰ 瀀愀椀渀琀椀渀最猀 眀攀爀攀
often influenced by stylistic or fashionable preferences 昀漀爀 瀀愀爀琀椀挀甀氀愀爀氀礀 瀀氀甀洀瀀 漀爀 挀漀氀漀甀爀昀甀氀 愀渀椀洀愀氀猀⸀ 䴀愀渀礀 漀昀 琀栀攀
better-known dodo paintings were based on the few birds 戀爀漀甀最栀琀 戀愀挀欀 琀漀 䔀甀爀漀瀀攀 戀礀 琀爀愀瘀攀氀氀攀爀猀⸀ 匀漀洀攀 瀀椀挀琀甀爀攀猀 洀愀礀
well have been drawn from badly stuffed specimens, and in 猀漀洀攀 挀愀猀攀猀 愀爀攀 猀椀洀瀀氀礀 挀漀瀀椀攀猀 漀昀 椀氀氀甀猀琀爀愀琀椀漀渀猀 戀礀 漀琀栀攀爀 愀爀琀椀猀琀猀⸀
Dr Andrew Kitchener has demonstrated that if the images 愀爀攀 漀爀搀攀爀攀搀 愀挀挀漀爀搀椀渀最 琀漀 愀最攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 搀漀搀漀✀猀 愀瀀瀀愀爀攀渀琀 瀀栀礀猀椀焀甀攀
progressively becomes fatter and more ungainly. It is also 瀀漀猀猀椀戀氀攀 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀 挀愀瀀琀椀瘀攀 戀椀爀搀猀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 眀攀爀攀 漀戀攀猀攀 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀
of their confinement and inappropriate diet, and wild dodos 氀漀漀欀攀搀 瘀攀爀礀 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀
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㰀栀㈀㸀伀砀昀漀爀搀✀猀 瀀愀椀渀琀椀渀最㰀⼀栀㈀㸀
The painting in the Museum was presented to the Ashmolean 椀渀 㠀㌀ 戀礀 圀⸀䠀⸀ 䐀愀爀戀礀⸀ 䤀琀 搀愀琀攀猀 昀爀漀洀 㘀㔀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 眀愀猀 瀀爀漀搀甀挀攀搀
by a Flemish artist, Jan Savery. His uncle, Roelandt Savery, 瀀愀椀渀琀攀搀 洀愀渀礀 椀洀愀最攀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 搀漀搀漀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 椀琀 猀攀攀洀猀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 琀栀愀琀
Jan copied from one or more of Roelandt's paintings. The 洀漀猀琀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 漀爀椀最椀渀愀氀猀 愀爀攀 栀攀氀搀 椀渀 䈀攀爀氀椀渀 ⠀㘀㈀㘀⤀ 愀渀搀 嘀椀攀渀渀愀
(1628). However, even Roelandt Savery produced some paintings 猀栀漀眀椀渀最 琀栀攀 搀漀搀漀 眀椀琀栀 眀攀戀戀攀搀 昀攀攀琀Ⰰ 眀栀椀挀栀 猀甀最最攀猀琀猀 栀攀 搀椀搀
not know the bird too well. His drawings of other animals 愀爀攀 昀愀爀 洀漀爀攀 挀漀渀猀椀猀琀攀渀琀氀礀 愀氀椀欀攀 琀栀愀渀 栀椀猀 搀漀搀漀猀⸀ 吀栀攀 愀渀椀洀愀氀
illustrated appears to have rather downy feathers and a 爀攀氀愀琀椀瘀攀氀礀 氀愀爀最攀 栀攀愀搀Ⰰ 昀攀愀琀甀爀攀猀 甀猀甀愀氀氀礀 愀猀猀漀挀椀愀琀攀搀 眀椀琀栀
younger birds. 㰀瀀㸀䜀攀漀爀最攀 䔀搀眀愀爀搀猀✀ 㜀㔀㤀 瀀愀椀渀琀椀渀最 猀栀漀眀猀 琀栀攀 搀漀搀漀 猀甀爀爀漀甀渀搀攀搀
by other unique species from Mauritius, and elsewhere. 㰀戀㸀
Fat or thin? 㰀⼀戀㸀
The best information about the dodo might be expected to 挀漀洀攀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 眀栀漀 猀愀眀 琀栀攀 戀椀爀搀 椀渀 椀琀猀 渀愀琀椀瘀攀 栀愀戀椀琀愀琀⸀
Unfortunately, most of the written accounts tell us more 愀戀漀甀琀 㜀琀栀 䌀攀渀琀甀爀礀 愀琀琀椀琀甀搀攀猀 琀漀 渀愀琀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 眀爀椀琀攀爀猀ᤀ†
own concerns than they do about the dodo itself. Images 瀀爀漀搀甀挀攀搀 戀礀 猀漀洀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 昀椀爀猀琀 䔀甀爀漀瀀攀愀渀猀 琀漀 瘀椀猀椀琀 䴀愀甀爀椀琀椀甀猀
in 1598 showed very thin birds. In a scene, from Admiral 嘀愀渀 一攀挀欀✀猀 愀挀挀漀甀渀琀Ⰰ 愀 爀愀琀栀攀爀 愀琀栀氀攀琀椀挀 搀漀搀漀 椀猀 猀琀爀椀搀椀渀最 漀昀昀
into the distance. This is in marked contrast to the fatter, 䔀甀爀漀瀀攀愀渀 爀攀瀀爀攀猀攀渀琀愀琀椀漀渀猀⸀ 㰀⼀瀀㸀
㰀栀㈀㸀䄀 渀攀眀 爀攀挀漀渀猀琀爀甀挀琀椀漀渀㰀⼀栀㈀㸀
㰀瀀㸀刀攀挀攀渀琀 爀攀猀攀愀爀挀栀 栀愀猀 挀栀愀氀氀攀渀最攀搀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀搀椀琀椀漀渀愀氀 搀攀瀀椀挀琀椀漀渀
of the dodo. Measurements of the Oxford skeleton, plus the 栀甀渀搀爀攀搀猀 漀昀 戀漀渀攀猀 愀洀愀猀猀攀搀 椀渀 琀栀攀 一愀琀甀爀愀氀 䠀椀猀琀漀爀礀 䴀甀猀攀甀洀
and the Cambridge Zoology Museum, have been used to calculate 栀漀眀 洀甀挀栀 眀攀椀最栀琀 琀栀攀 戀椀爀搀 挀漀甀氀搀 栀愀瘀攀 挀愀爀爀椀攀搀⸀ 吀栀椀猀 猀甀最最攀猀琀猀
that the fat dodo would have been too heavy for its skeleton 琀漀 猀甀瀀瀀漀爀琀 愀渀搀 眀漀甀氀搀 栀愀瘀攀 挀漀氀氀愀瀀猀攀搀⸀ 䄀 渀攀眀 爀攀挀漀渀猀琀爀甀挀琀椀漀渀
of the dodo is much thinner and looks much more similar 琀漀 䄀搀洀椀爀愀氀 瘀愀渀 一攀挀欀✀猀 昀椀爀猀琀 搀爀愀眀椀渀最 漀昀 琀栀攀 戀椀爀搀 㰀⼀瀀㸀
| 㰀琀搀 瘀愀氀椀最渀㴀琀漀瀀 挀漀氀猀瀀愀渀㴀㈀㸀㰀⼀琀搀㸀
㰀琀爀㸀
