Dodos probably weren't as stupid as historians made them out to be: new research
New research using high-resolution CT scans of dodo skulls suggests the bird was more intelligent than previously believed. The study indicates the dodo's brain structure was similar to modern pigeons and may have included adaptations for low-light environments.
Why it matters
This study challenges long-standing historical misconceptions about the dodo's intelligence and provides new insights into the evolutionary biology of extinct species.
by Vera Weisbecker, Andrew Iwaniuk, Sara Citron, The Conversation
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Alexander Pol
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Credit: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (2026). DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlag123 The dodo has been extinct for more than 300 years, wiped out within decades of humans arriving on its home island of Mauritius, but it lives on in the public imagination.
This famous flightless bird has become a symbol of extinction. Its demise is often portrayed as almost inevitable: a supposedly foolish creature that naïvely approached the sailors who killed it.
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