How Far We’ve Come
DNA analysis has allowed us to determine more about the dodo than ever was known before, such as which other bird species it is closely related to in terms of evolutionary history. More indepth research on its ecology enabled us to discover what role it played in its environment and led to its reclassification and current scientific name Raphus cucullatus, a name that reflects a better understanding of the species and how it fits into the world.
Current research is investigating where dodos were shipped to and when exactly they went extinct. Analysis with forensics is being done on the remaining soft tissue at Oxford. This research has revealed that the very last dodo, the Oxford dodo, was killed by gun shot, perhaps as a result of target practice (Oxford Dodo n.d.). The room for changes to the initial impressions of the dodo is vast and rapidly being filled with newfound knowledge.
