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 IMMEDIAPRESS > Servizi > Dettaglio comunicato
16 agosto 2007 - 10:00
Expedition Team Uncovers 150 Dodo Bones From Mauritian ’Dodo Mass Grave’
Naturalis - PR Newswire
LEIDEN, The Netherlands, August 16 /PRNewswire/ -- An excavation by a joint Mauritian and European research team of the Dodo Research Programme at Mare aux Songes, Mauritius, has uncovered nearly 150 fossil bones from the dodo. These dodo bones make up only part of more than 4000 bones excavated of extinct Mauritian vertebrate species, including the giant parrot (Lophopsittacus), the giant skink (Didosaurus) and Poule Rouge
(Aphanapteryx).
Two partly complete dodo skeletons, and two partly articulated extinct giant tortoises were found at the site, suggesting the fossil material at the Mare aux Songes is extremely well preserved, and as such a key scientific
resource for understanding the history and evolution of the endemic flora and fauna of Mauritius. Additional findings included a rare complete lower jaw of the dodo and unique skull material of extinct parrots.
In addition to identifying material for morphological analysis, bone samples were taken to be analysed using ancient DNA and mass spectrometry techniques, with the goal both to study DNA preservation at Mare aux Songes and to gain insights into the process of DNA decay over time, which remains an important question in particular for wet tropical environments. In cooperation with MSIRI, water, soil and microbiological samples were also taken to investigate the conditions of exceptional good fossil preservation at the Mare aux Songes. In addition to fossil bones, various fossil tree stems, branches and roots were recovered, including extinct and currently endangered Mauritian endemic species. Wood-anatomical identification will be used to reconstruct the vegetation and ecology of Mare aux Songes 4000 years ago. Growth rings present in the wood provide invaluable clues to the past climate in the Indian Ocean region. The excavation was so successful that the
amount of material generated exceeded the capacity for the finds to be appropriately processed, making it necessary to stop the excavation earlier than had been planned.
The results of this investigation suggest that the dodo fossil sanctuary at Mare aux Songes is among the world’s richest oceanic island fossil depositories and, being only several thousands years old, is the youngest fossil undisturbed ecosystem in the world. The dodo-fossil sanctuary provides
a unique window into how native ecosystems functioned on oceanic islands prior to human settlement.
Dr. Beth Shapiro of Oxford University (UK) and The Pennsylvania State University (USA) collected, in cooperation with the staff of the Mauritius Museums Council, additional samples from previous excavations on Mauritius for ancient DNA studies, including a sample of the one-and-only entirely
complete skeleton of the dodo exhibited at the Natural History Museum of Mauritius. Samples were additionally taken from the recently-discovered, nearly complete dodo, "Fred." It is hoped that these samples, in combination with those excavated in Mare aux Songes over the previous several years, will provide sufficiently good quality DNA to facilitate the reconstruction of the evolution and population structure of the dodo using modern genetics techniques.
The excavation was made possible by the Geological Service of the Netherlands-TNO, which employed a Dutch "polder" dewatering technique. Using this technique, it was possible to lower the water table exposing fossil layers in situ and allowing the scientific information to be recorded in its
geological and environmental context. With this system in place, it is possible to excavate from dry land more than 1 meter below the natural water table.
The excavation is financed by WWF Netherlands, the National Natural History Museum Naturalis, MTMD, University of Amsterdam-IBED, the British Royal Society, Percy Sladen Centenary Fund, BotanicAll, and the Geological Survey of the Netherlands/TNO. The excavation received authorisation by the Natural Heritage Fund of Mauritius and was carried out with permission by the
landowners MTMD.
Naturalis
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