Livezey proposed that males would have weighed 21 kilograms (46 lb) and females 17 kilograms (37 lb). Weight estimates have varied from study to study. The bird was sexually dimorphic males were larger and had proportionally longer beaks. Subfossil remains and remnants of the birds that were brought to Europe in the 17th century show that dodos were very large birds, up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall. A study of the few remaining feathers on the Oxford specimen head showed that they were pennaceous rather than plumaceous (downy) and most similar to those of other pigeons. The head was grey and naked, the beak green, black and yellow, and the legs were stout and yellowish, with black claws. According to most representations, the dodo had greyish or brownish plumage, with lighter primary feathers and a tuft of curly light feathers high on its rear end. Illustrations and written accounts of encounters with the dodo between its discovery and its extinction (1598–1662) are the primary evidence for its external appearance. 1625 perhaps the most accurate depiction of a live dodoĪs no complete dodo specimens exist, its external appearance, such as plumage and colouration, is hard to determine. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.Dodo among Indian birds, by Ustad Mansur, c. Still, considering they didn't change the content, if a new subtitle got more American backsides into "Pirates" movie theater seats, I can't object too much. And don't get me started on the shamefulness of replacing Sir David Attenborough's timeless narration and script with a dumbed-down Oprah version, as was done to the US version of " Life". Hypotheses abound on the reason, including US audiences' presumed distaste for science and certain Americans' known distaste for Charles Darwin.Ĭertainly, it's not the first time a UK title has been changed to make it more palatable or "understandable" to Americans ("Sorcerer's" Stone, anyone?). Strangely, the subtitle was changed to "Band of Misfits" in America, Australia, and New Zealand. That was also the film's title in the United Kingdom. This movie was based on the first book a series called " The Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists". The bird in the film seems to be adorably chicken-sized. One quibble: actual dodos reached about 3 feet high and weighed at least 20 pounds - possibly as much as 40. At least for two hours, I got to pretend there was at least one left, which was fun. Although hungry Dutch traders and other seamen have historically been blamed for the loss by eating the naive birds, feral introduced animals like pigs may have been the larger force. The species went extinct sometime in the late 1600s, barely 100 years after their discovery by Portuguese sailors. This goes on to become a major plot point in the film.ĭodos were giant flightless pigeons endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, east of the coast of Madagascar. Which was a bit unexpected, considering the film also features Charles Darwin and Queen Victoria. But I happened to catch it recently and I think it's well worth your time, especially if, like me, you enjoy witty, screwball comedies.Īs soon as I saw her, it was obvious the pirates' "parrot" Polly was a dodo. Public Domain click for sourceĪny animated film starring pirates, Charles Darwin, and a dodo is going to be worthy of mention here, but Aardman Animations - of Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run fame - has outdone itself with "The Pirates!: Band of Misfits".
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