Scientists have cast doubt on the myth that the extinct dodo was stupid

Only two complete dodo skulls are known to have survived worldwide. One is in the collection of the Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, and the other is at the Natural History Museum of the University of Oxford.

Ahead of the opening of the new museum building in Denmark, researchers were given a rare opportunity to carry out high-resolution CT scans of the Copenhagen specimen.

In total, CT data from three dodo skulls were included in the study, including both complete specimens. This made it possible to compare their structure and determine which anatomical features were truly characteristic of the extinct species.

Details

The bird’s brain itself has not been preserved. However, during its development, it left an imprint on the inner surface of the skull.

Using the scans, the scientists created an endocast — a three-dimensional digital model of the cavity once occupied by the brain. They then compared it with data from modern pigeons and doves, the dodo’s closest living relatives.

The reconstruction did not show that the relative size of the dodo’s forebrain was smaller than that of these birds. Therefore, the researchers found no anatomical grounds for considering the dodo to be particularly unintelligent.

That said, brain size alone does not allow for an accurate assessment of the intelligence of an extinct animal. The authors merely concluded that the new study does not confirm the stereotype regarding the dodo’s reduced cognitive abilities.

The structure of the skull also pointed to other perceptual characteristics.

Compared with modern pigeons, the dodo may have had relatively large olfactory regions of the brain. This suggests that it relied more heavily on smell when foraging for food.

The large upper beak may also have helped the bird gather tactile information whilst probing the ground or vegetation. However, it is not possible to determine precisely from the bones alone how sensitive the beak was or exactly how the dodo used it.

Scientists have also suggested that the bird may have been active at dawn and dusk, rather than just during the day. The authors regard this theory as preliminary, as the skull reconstruction does not allow for a reliable reconstruction of the animal’s daily routine.

Where did the myth of the stupid dodo come from?

The dodo lived on the island of Mauritius, where for a long time there were no large terrestrial predators. Because of this, the bird may not have been afraid of the humans who arrived on the island or the animals they brought with them.

Such behaviour was often perceived as a sign of stupidity. However, the lack of fear of an unknown threat was more likely the result of long-term evolution in an isolated island environment.

The dodo became extinct in the second half of the 17th century. Its extinction was caused by hunting, habitat destruction and the introduction of invasive animals that plundered its nests.

Why this is important

The study helps to distinguish scientific evidence from the cultural image of the dodo as a clumsy and unintelligent bird.

The new reconstruction does not provide a complete answer to the question of the extinct species’ behaviour, but it suggests that the dodo possessed a unique combination of sensory adaptations: a well-developed sense of smell, possible sensitivity in its beak, and a more flexible activity schedule.

This paints a more complex picture of a bird adapted to life on an isolated tropical island, rather than a biologically ‘failed’ animal.

Source

The researchers analysed CT scan data from three dodo skulls, including the only two known complete specimens, and reconstructed the internal cavity of the skull for comparison with modern pigeons and doves.

Study: The sensory world of the Dodo and Solitaire revealed by endocast and skull anatomy.

Journal: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2026.