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1、WhoWastheDodo?In1598ashipofPortuguesesailorslandedontheislandofMauritiusanddiscovered,apreviouslyunknownspeciesofbird,knowntodayastheDodoBird. Thisbirdwaslikenothingtheyhadeverseenbefore,andhavingbeenlivinginsolitudeontheislandwithnonaturalpredatorsitwasasurprisinglyfearl
2、ess. Thesailorshowevermistookthisforstupiditythereforegivingthebirditsname,the“dodo”. Overthecourseofthenextcenturythedodowaskilledbyhumansandothernon-indigenousanimalsthatwerebroughtwiththemandlessthen100yearsafteritwasdiscovered,itwascompletelywipedout. TheDodoremainson
3、eofthemostwidelyknowncasesofanimalextinctions. ThereareafewdifferentspeculationsonwhattheDodobirdoriginallylookedlike. Sincetherewerenocamerasinthe1500’sallwehavetorelyonistheportrayalanddescriptionsofthebirdsinsailor’sjournals,andartist’srenditions. However,sinceitwassuc
4、hanunusuallookingcreaturethereisquiteanarrayofdrawingsandpaintingstillinexistence. Basedonthisinfo,itwasdeterminethatafull-grownadultDodowasaverylargebirdweighingabout50lbs. Ithadgrayishbluefeathersthatcovereditsbodyexceptforaplumeofwhitefeathersonitsrear. TheDodohadas
5、hortneckandstoodabout3feethighontwostoutyellowlegs. Ithadtwoverysmallwingsmakingitflightless,andalargeblackbeakwithbronzedcoloronthetip. MostportraitsoftheDodoportraythebirdasveryheavyandsomewhatclumsylooking,howeverduetonewresearchanddiscoveriesthosepreviousideashavebeen
6、revamped. Manyscientistsnowbelievethatthebirdmayhavebeenmuchslimmer(byabout4or5pounds). Thereasonthatearlydepictionsofthebirdmayhavemadeitlookheavywasduetothefactthatitwasalsoknownasaverygreedybird,withaninsatiableappetite. TheDodowasanestingbird,andchosetosettleingrassya
7、reasoftheforestfloor. Thedodowasthoughttobeamonogamousbirdmeaningthatitmatedwithonlyonepartnerforit’sentirelife. Likeallbirds,itlaideggs,butusuallyonlyoneatatime. Theincubationperiodwasabout49days,andbothparentparticipatedincaringfortheyoungoncetheyhatched.TheDodoinhabite
8、dtheislandofMauritius,offthecoastofAfrica(eastofMadagascar)whichupuntilthe1500’shadbeenuninhabit
