Fred Ruhe
Well-known member
M. Nowak-Kemp & J. P. Hume in press
The Oxford Dodo. Part 1: the museum history of the Tradescant Dodo: ownership, displays and audience
Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology latest articles
Abstract
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2016.1152471
The Dodo Raphus cucullatus, a giant flightless pigeon endemic to Mauritius, became extinct in the late seventeenth century, and so rapid was the birds’ disappearance, that by the beginning of the nineteenth century even its very existence was questioned. Only four specimens were then recorded in European museums, of which the most famous was the Tradescant or Oxford Dodo, now in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. It comprised the head and one foot, and unique soft tissue in the form of skin and traces of feathers. The history of this specimen is reviewed, including the still unresolved question of how it came to Britain, and we provide evidence to show that it was stuffed but probably never mounted. The changes of ownership, and its cataloguing and curation in the different museums are also described, along with its varying roles in entertainment, education and research from the earliest years until the nineteenth century. This is part one of a two-part article; the second deals with the Tradescant Dodo from its dissection in the 1840s until the present day.
M. Nowak-Kemp & J. P. Hume in press
The Oxford Dodo. Part 2: from curiosity to icon and its role in displays, education and research
Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology latest articles
Abstract
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2016.1155211
The Tradescant or Oxford Dodo has played an important role in exhibition and education throughout its 360-year history, and has been the subject of scientific research reflecting changing interests and techniques over this time. Due to confusion over its relationships, its placement in the classification systems continually changed, until the dissection in 1847 of the head and foot confirmed its columbid (pigeons and doves) affinities. Here, we describe the dissection of the head and foot and the Tradescant Dodo’s display history, from the late nineteenth century until the present day, and also its use in education. We discuss the importance of the Tradescant Dodo to Lewis Carroll, whose ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ made the dodo aware to a worldwide audience. We further provide an overview of recent work including electron microscopic study of feathers, mDNA analysis, cytological investigation of the skin and measuring of the brain capacity, all of which have added to our knowledge of the evolution and ecology of this most extraordinary of birds. Research is ongoing; the Tradescant Dodo is presently subject to CT scanning and functional analysis. This is the second part of a two-part paper.
Enjoy,
Fred
The Oxford Dodo. Part 1: the museum history of the Tradescant Dodo: ownership, displays and audience
Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology latest articles
Abstract
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2016.1152471
The Dodo Raphus cucullatus, a giant flightless pigeon endemic to Mauritius, became extinct in the late seventeenth century, and so rapid was the birds’ disappearance, that by the beginning of the nineteenth century even its very existence was questioned. Only four specimens were then recorded in European museums, of which the most famous was the Tradescant or Oxford Dodo, now in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. It comprised the head and one foot, and unique soft tissue in the form of skin and traces of feathers. The history of this specimen is reviewed, including the still unresolved question of how it came to Britain, and we provide evidence to show that it was stuffed but probably never mounted. The changes of ownership, and its cataloguing and curation in the different museums are also described, along with its varying roles in entertainment, education and research from the earliest years until the nineteenth century. This is part one of a two-part article; the second deals with the Tradescant Dodo from its dissection in the 1840s until the present day.
M. Nowak-Kemp & J. P. Hume in press
The Oxford Dodo. Part 2: from curiosity to icon and its role in displays, education and research
Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology latest articles
Abstract
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2016.1155211
The Tradescant or Oxford Dodo has played an important role in exhibition and education throughout its 360-year history, and has been the subject of scientific research reflecting changing interests and techniques over this time. Due to confusion over its relationships, its placement in the classification systems continually changed, until the dissection in 1847 of the head and foot confirmed its columbid (pigeons and doves) affinities. Here, we describe the dissection of the head and foot and the Tradescant Dodo’s display history, from the late nineteenth century until the present day, and also its use in education. We discuss the importance of the Tradescant Dodo to Lewis Carroll, whose ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ made the dodo aware to a worldwide audience. We further provide an overview of recent work including electron microscopic study of feathers, mDNA analysis, cytological investigation of the skin and measuring of the brain capacity, all of which have added to our knowledge of the evolution and ecology of this most extraordinary of birds. Research is ongoing; the Tradescant Dodo is presently subject to CT scanning and functional analysis. This is the second part of a two-part paper.
Enjoy,
Fred
