The Dodo: From Evolutionary Isolation to the Icon of Extinction Guest: Stephen Moss Book Title: Ten Birds That Changed the World The dodo serves as the primary icon of extinction, a concept that was incomprehensible to the 17th-century religious mind. Evo

The Dodo: From Evolutionary Isolation to the Icon of Extinction Guest: Stephen Moss Book Title: Ten Birds That Changed the World The dodo serves as the primary icon of extinction, a concept that was incomprehensible to the 17th-century religious mind. Evolving on the predator-free island of Mauritius, the flightless dodo was defenseless when Dutch sailors introduced dogs, rats, and monkeys, leading to its disappearance within 80 years. Moss notes that most museum "dodos" are actually models made of chicken feathers and wire, as contemporaries never thought to preserve a species they believed could never vanish. However, the dodo's tragic fate inspired modern successes, such as Carl Jones'work in the 1970s. By using "double clutching" — taking eggs to force a second laying — Jones saved the Mauritiuskestrel from a population of just a dozen birds. This legacy continues today through efforts to make islands predator-free to protect vulnerable seabirds, proving that the dodo's extinction eventually taught humanity the value of active conservation. (4)
1869 WOOD PIGEON