Dead as a fossil

A Dutch-Mauritian research team has discovered 'beautifully preserved' bones of about 20 dodos at an excavation site in Mauritius. The remains were found in a low-lying swamp in Mare aux Songes, the dry southeastern part of the island. "All the bones were found in one layer, and this suggests a mass grave," said the researchers. The bones are believed to be 2,000 to 3,000 years old. Dutch geologist Kenneth F Rijsdijk, who led the excavation team, said dna samples from the dodo bones could revolutionise our understanding of how the birds lived.