Interview excerpt
A sparkling green emerald in a turquoise sea, crowned by an azure sky and formed by volcanic rock, Mauritius is a small independent island nation of 787 square miles in the Indian Ocean with a population of 1.2 million people. It is known for its beaches, reefs, and tranquil sea. Jayshree Mungur-Medhi, an archaeologist and heritage expert on the island, participated in the excavations at Mare aux Songes, where a cache of dodo bones and other fossils were uncovered.
MP: When did we first become aware of the existence of the dodo?
JM: “Dumb as the dodo” is a saying which is famous worldwide, but actually the dodo only existed in Mauritius. Endemic to Mauritius, the dodo, Raphus cucullatus, became extinct in the late 17th century shortly after its existence was discovered and described. It seems that it was first seen and reported by the Portuguese in 1507, who named it “Dodo” as doido means “stupid” in Portuguese. However, the origin of the name is still debated by scientists. In any case, reported in the 16th century and extinct by the late 17th century, the existence of the live dodo was only known for about 100 years.
MP: The dodo is often depicted in caricature form, but what did the strange bird look like?