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Cranium and sternum of the extinct Rodrigues
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Cranium and sternum of the extinct Rodrigues
Cranium 1-4 and part of sternum 5, 6 of the extinct Rodrigues solitaire, Pezophaps solitaria, in the Parisian Collection. Lithograph by Joseph Dinkel after Werner 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 23168696
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Alexander Cranium Cucullatus Didus Dodo Edwin Extinct Gordon Hugh Ineptus Kindred Melville Ornithology Parisian Raphus Rodrigues Solitaire Solitaria Strickland Sternum
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This striking hand-colored lithograph depicts the cranium and sternum of the extinct Rodrigues solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria), a rare and enigmatic bird once endemic to the island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean. The cranium, represented by specimens 1-4, displays the distinctive features of this bird, including its large, rounded skull and prominent beak, which was adapted for grinding seeds and nuts. The sternum, shown as parts 5, 6, reveals the bird's unique skeletal structure, with a broad, flat keel that likely supported powerful flight muscles. The Rodrigues solitaire is closely related to the more famous dodo (Raphus cucullatus), which also inhabited the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean. However, while the dodo is well-known for its flightless status and plump body shape, the Rodrigues solitaire was a more agile and slender bird, capable of short bursts of flight. This lithograph was created by Joseph Dinkel after drawings by Werner and published in Hugh Edwin Strickland and Alexander Gordon Melville's seminal work, "The Dodo and its Kindred," published in London in 1848. The meticulously detailed illustration is a testament to the scientific curiosity and exploration of the natural world that characterized the 19th century, and serves as a reminder of the unique and fascinating creatures that have once inhabited our planet.
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