The Dodo was a member of the dove and pigeon family. It evolved from ancestors that arrived 45 million years ago on the Indian Ocean islands of which present day Mauritius is part. The Dodo is a perfect example of “island endemism” because its habitat was defined by a biologically isolated area, which allowed it to evolve into a giant flightless bird. As a species it appeared approximately 25 million years ago. The simple island ecology that permits such life forms to evolve can also be turbulent. Ninety years after the arrival of man on Mauritius, the Dodo sadly disappeared from the unique Mascarene forest.
keywords: evolutionary lineage, ancestry, evolution of flightlessness birds, pigeons, dodo, island endemism, extinction, Mascarenes
Original Caption: The Dodo is a member of the doves and pigeon family. It evolved from ancestors that arrived 45 million years ago on the Indian ocean islands of which present day Mauritius is part. The Dodo is a perfect example of “island endemism” because its habitat was defined by a biologically isolated area which caused it to evolve in a giant flightless bird. As a species it appeared approximately 25 million years ago. How rapid was its extinction: 90 years after the arrival of man on Mauritius it sadly disappeared from the unique Mascarene forest. |
