The Dodo’s Eulogy: An Examination of the Impressions of Raphus cucullatusMain MenuTable of ContentsDiscovery and Early HistoryEarly ImpressionsEarly Cultural ImpactModern DevelopmentsPopular DepictionsHow Far We’ve ComeReferencesJacob T Fagnani3fb125824c10a503a6fa15f2705290553cf76e81Binghamton University, State University of New York
The Non-Death of the Dodo
12019-04-28T19:49:05-07:00Jacob T Fagnani3fb125824c10a503a6fa15f2705290553cf76e813315612plain2019-05-11T06:07:34-07:00Nancy Um4051576cc4fc4011fb0706d1c68e5004e7744d2dDespite going extinct over 300 years ago, the legacy of the dodo is far from dead. Our scientific impressions of the species shifted dramatically from discovery until now. We first understood it as a feeble species which had little in terms of defenses to survive early human colonization. We now understand it as a highly evolved species that was well suited to consume the scarce food at its disposal on the island of Mauritius, which posed challenges to survival. Modern research in both the species' genetics as well as the ecology of its environment have given us boundless knowledge on the previously abstruse bird. Even so, little has changed in terms of how we view the dodo culturally. Early portrayals of the species depicted a grotesque bird that contrasted starkly against other nimble colorful parrots and cranes around it. Today, we portray the dodo as a silly fowl that was at fault for its own demise, absentmindedly losing the melons in the film Ice Age for instance. No matter the impression, Raphus cucullatus holds a place in the hearts of people everywhere, whether that be an impression of a foolish fat bird or an important species lost to history.
