New research shows the dodo was as clever as modern pigeons

An international team examined the only three well-preserved dodo skulls with high-resolution CT imaging, allowing a detailed reconstruction of the extinct bird's brain. Their measurements showed that the dodo's forebrain, a region associated with learning and memory, was proportionally comparable to that of modern pigeons, indicating no evidence of reduced intelligence. Prior assumptions of the dodo’s clumsiness stem from its easy tameness toward humans, a trait common to island species lacking predators before human arrival.

The study also identified relatively smaller optic lobes, implying the dodo may have been adapted for nocturnal foraging, challenging the notion that it was strictly diurnal. These results, published in a zoological journal, call into question the cultural image of the dodo as a symbol of stupidity. The research coincides with biotech efforts, such as those by Colossal Biosciences, to resurrect extinct birds, highlighting renewed scientific interest in the species.