UPSC Prelims 1998 · General Studies
Question 120: Environment and Ecology
A tree species in Mauritius failed to reproduce because of the extinction of a fruit-eating bird. Which one of the following was that bird?
AnswerThe answer is (b).
The dodo, a large flightless bird of Mauritius, was hunted and driven to extinction by the late seventeenth century. The tree usually linked with it is Calvaria major (the tambalacoque), whose hard-coated seeds were said to need passage through the dodo's gut to germinate. Doves, condors and skuas are not associated with this story.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Doves are not linked to this story.
- (b) Right: the extinct dodo of Mauritius.
- (c) The condor is a South American vulture.
- (d) The skua is a sea bird of the polar regions.
Worth knowing: Later studies have questioned whether the dodo's extinction alone explains the tree's failure to reproduce, but the dodo is the intended answer.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1998, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.