Dodo mass grave in Mauritius

[Raymond Ancog <rayancog@pldtdsl.net>]

Not exactly that old, but about dinosaurs nonetheless. Just do a search for 
"dodo" at Google News and you'll find dozens of articles, including this 
one from Reuters.

http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2005-12-24T173950Z_01_HAR463578_RTRUKOC_0_US-SCIENCE-DODO.xml

Preserved remains of dodos found in Mauritius
Sat Dec 24, 2005 12:40 PM ET


AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A mass grave of dodos, the famous flightless bird 
whose name became synonymous with stupidity, has been uncovered in 
Mauritius, scientists said.

The rare find will enable researchers to discover more about what happened 
to the bird, native to the Indian Ocean Island, which became extinct in the 
late 17th century.

Scientists from the Dutch Natural History Museum in Leiden said the remains 
were at least 2,000 years old.

"This new find will allow for the first scientific research into and 
reconstruction of the world in which the dodo lived, before Western man 
landed on Mauritius and wiped out the species," said a statement from the 
museum.

The dodo was discovered by Portuguese sailors in the late 16th century. Its 
lack of fear of humans, its plump size estimated at about 20 kg (44 pounds) 
and its inability to fly meant the bird became extinct by about 1680.

Its name is similar to the Portuguese word for fool.

The last time dodo remains were discovered was in 1920. The latest find by 
Dutch and Mauritius scientists was made in October in a swampy area in the 
southeast of the island.

"The discovery yielded several dodo bones, including remains of dodo chicks 
and a very rare part of a bird's peak, only a few of which exist in the 
entire world," the statement said.

The grave is expected to include dozens of dodo skeletons, which are very 
rare and are estimated to be worth millions of dollars, said Dutch 
geologist Kenneth Rijsdijk who helped to find the site.

"A single bone can yield thousands of dollars. It's a massive site and may 
very well contain skeletons of dozens of dodos," he said.