来自哥本哈根大学和莱瑟里奇大学的研究团队通过CT扫描技术分析了现存仅有的两具完整渡渡鸟头骨——分别保存于丹麦自然历史博物馆和牛津大学自然历史博物馆——发现这种已灭绝鸟类的感官能力远比人们长期认知的要复杂得多[1]。研究表明，渡渡鸟可能依赖嗅觉甚于现代鸽子和鸽鸪，其宽大的上喙具有高度的触觉感知能力[1]。这些发现刷新了延续数百年的刻板印象，揭示了一个更为精妙的物种特征[1]。
此外，科学家还通过对脑腔印迹的分析推断，渡渡鸟可能在黎明和黄昏时段活动，而非仅限于白天活动[1]。这些渡渡鸟生活在毛里求斯，在17世纪末灭绝之前适应了当地的生态环境[1]。该研究成果已发表于《林奈学会动物学杂志》2026年第207卷第4期[1]。
Researchers have revealed that the extinct dodo possessed a far more sophisticated sensory life than previously understood, upending centuries of assumptions about the species.[1] By analyzing CT scans of the world's only two complete dodo skulls—housed at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and the University of Oxford—scientists discovered evidence that the bird likely relied more heavily on smell than modern pigeons and doves.[1] The dodo's large upper beak appears to have been highly sensitive to touch, enabling it to gather detailed tactile information from its environment.[1]
The findings suggest the dodo was not confined to daytime activity as commonly believed, but rather may have been active during dawn and dusk hours.[1] These discoveries fundamentally challenge the long-standing stereotype of the dodo as a dim-witted creature, instead pointing to a complex animal with specialized sensory adaptations suited to its ecological niche in Mauritius, where it lived before going extinct in the late 17th century.[1] The research, conducted by teams from Copenhagen University and Loughborough University, was published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 207, Issue 4.[1]