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Despite its status as an icon of extinction and relatively recent disappearance, our knowledge of the anatomy of the dodo has been hampered by a scarcity of preserved remains. The handful of dodo relics that survive from collections made prior to the bird's extinction consist solely of cranial and pedal materials, whereas other dodo skeletons preserved in museum collections are incomplete composites, constructed from subfossil skeletal remains discovered since 1865 at the Mare aux Songes locality. Here we describe the skeletal anatomy of two exceptional dodo specimens, collected around 1904 by amateur naturalist Louis Etienne Thirioux in the caves and crevasses surrounding Le Pouce, which have escaped detailed scientific analysis until now. The Port Louis specimen appears to consist of the skeletal remains of a single bird and is essentially complete, whereas the Durban specimen has been constructed from a limited number of birds but contains many bones that appear to be associated. The Port Louis specimen provides the first information regarding relative skeletal proportions of the dodo. Unique skeletal elements that were unknown or never described scientifically before include the patella, tarsal sesamoids, ulnare and radiale, and distal wing phalanges. The anatomy of the Thirioux dodos supports recent reinterpretations of the dodo as a resilient bird that was well adapted to the Mauritian ecosystem. Citation for this article: Claessens, L. P. A. M., H. J. M. Meijer, and J. P. Hume. 2015. The morphology of the Thirioux dodos; pp. 29–187 in L. P. A. M. Claessens, H. J. M. Meijer, J. P. Hume, and K. F. Rijsdijk (eds.), Anatomy of the Dodo (Raphus cucullatusL., 1758): An Osteological Study of the Thirioux Specimens. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Memoir 15. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 35(6, Supplement). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exact provenance of the two associated dodo skeletons collected in the vicinity of Port Louis, Mauritius, around the turn of the 19th century is shrouded in mystery, as well as their collector, the amateur naturalist and barber Louis Etienne Thirioux (1846–1917). The most complete specimen resides in the Mauritius Institute, Port Louis, whereas the second, which is a partial composite, is in the Durban Natural Science Museum (South Africa). Early correspondence between Thirioux and Alfred Newton, Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy at Cambridge University, detailed museum records kept by Ernest Chubb from the Durban Natural Science Museum, and early photographic records of Thirioux's finds shed some light on the early history of the specimens. The Port Louis specimen appears to consist of the bones of a single bird, apart from what appear to be an extra pair of lacrimals, and is essentially complete, including, for instance, the wrist bones, the patella, and the tarsal sesamoid, with the sole exception of the phalanx digiti minoris (present in the Durban specimen). These elements have never been described or illustrated before. The Durban specimen contains elements that most likely derived from a very small number of birds, possibly as few as two. Records indicate that some reconstruction has been undertaken on the Durban specimen, including the discarding of a cervical vertebra. However, regardless of unanswered questions regarding the history and provenance of the Thirioux dodo specimens, they represent the most complete, associated skeletal remains in existence. Citation for this article: Claessens, L. P. A. M., and J. P. Hume. 2015. Provenance and history of the Thirioux dodos; pp. 21–28 in L. P. A. M. Claessens, H. J. M. Meijer, J. P. Hume, and K. F. Rijsdijk (eds.), Anatomy of the Dodo (Raphus cucullatusL., 1758): An Osteological Study of the Thirioux Specimens. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Memoir 15. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 35(6, Supplement). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the author's discusses various aspects related to the study of life and history of dodo bird, including its extinction, biomechanics of locomotion, and analysis of its skeleton.

The theropod genus and speciesOrnithomimus veloxwas erected based on a partial hind limb recovered from the late Maastrichtian Denver Formation. A partial manus, which likely belonged to the same individual, was also recovered and described in the same paper.Ornithomimus edmontonicusis the only other valid species currently recognized in the genus. The validity ofOrnithomimus veloxhas been questioned due to its fragmentary nature and because the diagnostic features identified when the species was erected are now considered characteristic for the family. The pes and manus ofOrnithomimus veloxwere never fully prepared. In the original description, reconstructed metatarsals were figured, but manual phalanges, although preserved, were not described. Here we describe and reevaluateOrnithomimus veloxbased upon a new preparation of the specimen. Metacarpal proportions are diagnostic for the genus, with metacarpal I longer than metacarpal II, which in turn is longer than metacarpal III. The pes and manus ofOrnithomimus veloxare smaller than in the type specimen ofOrnithomimus edmontonicus.Ornithomimus veloxcan be distinguished fromOrnithomimus edmontonicusbased on the robusticity of the pes. Material previously referred toOrnithomimus veloxfrom the Kaiparowits Formation of Utah is older and morphologically distinct and does not represent the same species. The morphological disparity and temporal separation observed in specimens referred toOrnithomimus edmontonicussuggest that it may represent a species complex. The redescription and diagnosis ofOrnithomimus veloxprovides a new framework to investigate ornithomimid systematics. Citation for this article: Claessens, L. P. A. M., and M. A. Loewen. 2015. A redescription ofOrnithomimus veloxMarsh, 1890 (Dinosauria, Theropoda). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2015.1034593. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]