CT skull study finds dodo brain size normal for a large pigeon, hints at night activity

An international team led by the University of Lethbridge Iwaniuk Lab, with Flinders University and museum partners, reports that the dodo's brain was not smaller than expected for a bird of its size, phys.org reported, citing the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. CT scans of three dodo skulls and many other pigeons, plus the related extinct Rodrigues solitaire, showed slightly larger eyes but unusually small optic lobes, a pattern common in dusk- or night-active birds such as the night parrot and kakapo, co-author Vera Weisbecker said. Senior author Andrew Iwaniuk said the cognition-related brain region matched expectations for body size, undercutting the "stupid dodo" reputation often tied to trusting island behavior. Researchers also note a relatively large smell-related brain area that needs more comparative data. The authors argue dodos may have been active at dawn, dusk, or night, which would make them the only nocturnal pigeon known. The paper is Citron et al., DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlag123.