1:1 Scale Model Cast Of A Dodo Cranium And Beak
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:49752964 | Animal Type: Birds |
| Item Type: Taxidermy Replica | Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom |
| Mounted/ Unmounted: Unmounted | Material: Reconstituted Stone Plaster |
The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus)is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic tothe island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Up for sale here is a rare 1:1 scale casting of the fore-skull (or partial cranium) of a Dodo complete with the upper part of the beak. This fine casting is made from reconstituted 'stonecast' plaster and was taken from actual preserved Dodo remains that are currently held at the Narodny Museum of Prague in the Czech Republic.... The dodo's closest geneticrelative was the also-extinct Rodrigues solitaire, the two forming the subfamily Raphinae ofthe family of pigeons anddoves. The closest living relativeof the dodo is the Nicobar pigeon. Subfossil remains show the dodo was about 1 metre(3 ft 3 in) tall and may have weighed 10.6–17.5 kg (23–39 lb)in the wild. The dodo's appearance in life is evidenced only by drawings, paintings, and written accounts from the 17th century. As these varyconsiderably, and only some of the illustrations are known to have been drawnfrom live specimens, its exact appearance in life remains unresolved, andlittle is known about its behaviour. Though the dodo has historically beenconsidered fat and clumsy, it is now thought to have been well-adapted for itsecosystem. It has been depicted with brownish-grey plumage, yellow feet, a tuft of tail feathers, a grey, naked head, and a black, yellow, and green beak. It used gizzardstones to help digest itsfood, which is thought to have included fruits, and its main habitat isbelieved to have been the woods in the drier coastal areas of Mauritius. Oneaccount states its clutch consisted of a single egg. It ispresumed that the dodo became flightless because of the ready availability ofabundant food sources and a relative absence of predators on Mauritius.The firstrecorded mention of the dodo was by Dutch sailors in 1598. In the followingyears, the bird was hunted by sailors and other invasive species, while its habitat was beingdestroyed. The last widely accepted sighting of a dodo was in 1662. Itsextinction was not immediately noticed, and some considered it to be a mythicalcreature. In the 19th century, research was conducted on a small quantity ofremains of four specimens that had been brought to Europe in the early 17thcentury. Among these is a dried head, the only soft tissue of the dodo thatremains today. Since then, a large amount of subfossil material has beencollected on Mauritius, mostly from the Mare aux Songes swamp. The extinction ofthe dodo within less than a century of its discovery called attention to thepreviously unrecognised problem of human involvement in the disappearance ofentire species. The dodo achieved widespreadrecognition from its role in the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and it has since become a fixture in popular culture, often as a symbol of extinction. The specimen will come fully painted (can be supplied unpainted on request). NB: Please allow for slight variation in colour as all specimens are hand painted (PC monitors will also show differing shades and will vary slightly due to natural light etc)Length of specimen is approx 15cm (life-sized) Please enquire about my other Dodo MaterialThis auction is for the partial fore-skull and beak cast NOT a complete skull Good Luck and Happy Bidding
