Mysterious Green Spotted Pigeon and Dodo Relative are Descended from Island-Hopping Ancestor

The rare and mysterious green spotted pigeon, which became extinct hundreds of years ago, is now being examined a bit more closely with the help of its DNA. Scientists have taken a look at its genetic makeup and have found that not only is the pigeon definitively related to the dodo, but that both birds are descended from "island hopping" ancestors.

The only known example of the spotted green pigeon is a specimen located at the World Museum, Liverpool. There are no records of the bird in the wild, or even where the pigeon was found. In fact, researchers have long wondered whether the pigeon is a distinct species, or just an unusual form of the Nicobar pigeon from around Indonesia.

In order to find that out, the researchers took DNA from two feathers of the spotted green pigeon. Because of its age, the DNA was highly fragmented, so instead the scientists focused on three DNA "mini barcodes," which are small sections of DNA which are unique for most bird species. They examined these sections and then compared them to other species.

So what did they find? Not only is the spotted green pigeon a separate species, but it's most closely related to the Nicobar pigeon and the dodo and Rodrigues solitaire. The spotted green pigeon probably had a semi-terrestrial lifestyle and the ability to fly. In addition, it's likely that the ancestors of this species were "island hoppers," moving between islands around India and Southeast Asia.

"This study improved our ability to identify novel species from historic remains, and also those that are not novel after all," said Time Heupink of the Griffith University Australia in a news release. "Ultimately this will help us to measure and understand the extinction of local populations and entire species."

The findings reveal a bit more about the origins of these birds. More importantly, they place the green spotted pigeon in its correct place in the world of birds after more than 230 years.

The findings are published in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology.