• Question: Which animal is most like the Dodo?

    Asked by imctaggart to Adam, Catherine, Leila on 21 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Adam Stevens

      Adam Stevens answered on 21 Mar 2012:

      Probably one for Leila, but apparently the closest living relative is the Nicobar Pigeon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicobar_Pigeon

      We seem to have wiped out all the close relatives 🙁

    • Photo: Leila Battison

      Leila Battison answered on 21 Mar 2012:

      Dodos were flightless birds, related to a bigger group that are all extinct! Dodo’s went extinct in 1681 🙁

      Its quite difficult to work out how extinct species were related to eachother, because you need DNA to do a proper analysis, and DNA rots away really quickly. None of the DNA form dodos has been preserved very well…

      After a couple of studies, scientists reckon their closest living relative is the Nicobar Pigeon, which is like a normal pigeon with its fancy clothes on!

Comments