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Head of a dodo in the Ashmolean Museum
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Head of a dodo in the Ashmolean Museum
Side view of the head of a dodo in the Ashmolean Museum and restored head in the British Museum. Illustration drawn and lithographed by Joseph Dinkel from Hugh Edwin Strickland and Alexander Gordon Melvilles The Dodo and its Kindred, London, Reeve, Benham and Reeve, 1848
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Media ID 23168662
© Florilegius/Mary Evans
Alexander Cucullatus Didus Dodo Edwin Extinct Gordon Hugh Ineptus Kindred Melville Ornithology Raphus Skull Strickland Ashmolean
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EDITORS COMMENTS
1. Title: A Comparative Study of the Dodos' Heads: The Ashmolean Museum's and British Museum's Dodo Skulls This image presents a side view comparison of the heads of two dodo specimens, one from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK, and the other from the British Museum in London. The illustration, drawn and lithographed by Joseph Dinkel, is taken from the seminal ornithological work "The Dodo and its Kindred" by Hugh Edwin Strickland and Alexander Gordon Melville, published in London by Reeve, Benham and Reeve in 1848. The dodo (Raphus cucullatus, syn. Didus ineptus) is an extinct flightless bird that once inhabited the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean. Its distinctive appearance, with a large, round body, small wings, and a large, helmet-like head, made it a subject of fascination for naturalists and collectors during the 16th and 17th centuries. The side-by-side comparison of the two dodo heads in this image offers a unique opportunity to observe the subtle differences between the two specimens. The Ashmolean Museum's head, depicted on the left, shows a more rounded and smoother skull, while the British Museum's head, on the right, exhibits a more angular and textured appearance. These differences may be due to natural variations between individual dodos or the preservation methods used for each specimen. This hand-coloured lithograph not only serves as a valuable record of the natural history of the dodo but also highlights the importance of museum collections and scientific research in understanding the natural world. The detailed illustration, produced during a time when the study of extinct species was in its infancy, demonstrates the significant role that ornithology played in the development of the scientific community and our knowledge of the natural world.
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