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The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo's closest genetic relative was the also-extinct Rodrigues solitaire, the 2 forming the subfamily Raphinae of the family of pigeons and doves, each of them are the only species in their own genus (Raphus in the dodo's case). The closest living relative of the dodo is the Nicobar pigeon. A white dodo was once thought to have existed on the nearby island of Réunion, but this is now believed to have been confusion based on the also-extinct Réunion ibis and paintings of white dodos.

Subfossil remains show the dodo was about 1 meter (3 feet 3 inches) tall and may have weighed 10.6–17.5 kilograms (23–39 pounds) in the wild. The dodo's appearance in life is evidenced only by drawings, paintings, and written accounts from the 17th century. As these vary considerably, and only some of the illustrations are known to have been drawn from live specimens, its exact appearance in life remains unresolved, and little is known about its behaviour. Though the dodo has historically been considered fat and clumsy, it is now thought to have been well-adapted for its ecosystem. It has been depicted with brownish-grey plumage, yellow feet, a tuft of tail feathers, a grey, naked head, and a black, yellow, and green beak. It used gizzard stones to help digest its food, which is thought to have included fruits, and its main habitat is believed to have been the woods in the drier coastal areas of Mauritius. One account states its clutch consisted of a single egg. It is presumed that the dodo became flightless because of the ready availability of abundant food sources and a relative absence of predators on Mauritius.

The first recorded mention of the dodo was by Dutch sailors in 1598. In the following years, the bird was hunted by sailors and invasive species, while its habitat was being destroyed. The last widely accepted sighting of a dodo was in 1662. Its extinction was not immediately noticed, and some considered it to be a myth. In the 19th century, research was conducted on a small quantity of remains of four specimens that had been brought to Europe in the early 17th century. Among these is a dried head, the only soft tissue of the dodo that remains today. Since then, a large amount of subfossil material has been collected on Mauritius, mostly from the Mare aux Songes swamp. The extinction of the dodo within less than a century of its discovery called attention to the previously unrecognized problem of human involvement in the disappearance of entire species. The dodo achieved widespread recognition from its role in the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and it has since become a fixture in popular culture, often as a symbol of extinction and obsolescence.

History[]

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom[]

The Dodo appeared in the film but only seen as a poster for the Dinosaur Protection Group.

Trivia[]

  • Despite the Dodo being a flightless bird, It is shown temporarily flying when in the Jurassic Park: Builder tournament. This may be for comedic purposes.
  • The Dodo being prey for the predators in the Cenozoic section in Jurassic World: The Game may be considered ironic considering the fact that the Dodo in real life had no natural predators other than humans and other animals that were introduced to Mauritius such as pigs, dogs, cats, rats, and crab-eating macaques.
  • The dodo was the most recently extinct creature in Jurassic World Alive before the addition of the Rodrigues solitaire.
  • Differently to the "All Powerfull Dodo", the standard epic dodo is a flock creature, while the boss is a standard legendary creature.

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