# Monetary value of Dodo breeding pair? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 19, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140 "2007-08-19T14:44:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/1 "2007-08-19T14:44:33Z")
Supposing I could resurrect the Dodo, but it costs money to do so. Is there any economic incentive to do it? How much do you think I’d get for it? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/2 "2007-08-19T14:51:13Z")
[QUOTE=The Controvert] Supposing I could resurrect the Dodo, but it costs money to do so. Is there any economic incentive to do it? How much do you think I’d get for it? [/QUOTE] Do you see a market for Dodos at all? Would they be good to eat? Would they make good house pets? Aside from being edible, they would have almost no value at all, at least once the “wow, it’s a Dodo” factor wore off. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/3 "2007-08-19T15:47:50Z")
Plock plock. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/4 "2007-08-19T15:58:35Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] Do you see a market for Dodos at all? Would they be good to eat? Would they make good house pets? Aside from being edible, they would have almost no value at all, at least once the “wow, it’s a Dodo” factor wore off. [/QUOTE] True but the _“wow it’s a Dodo”_ could make a pretty penny in itself. Not sure to who or for what but it could. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/5 "2007-08-19T17:14:46Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] Do you see a market for Dodos at all? Would they be good to eat? Would they make good house pets? Aside from being edible, they would have almost no value at all, at least once the “wow, it’s a Dodo” factor wore off. [/QUOTE] Then I should go ahead and toss those Rembrandts I found in the basement last week. That’s going to save me a _lot_ of time-thank you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/6 "2007-08-19T17:28:37Z")
IIRC, the dodo was most certainly **not** “good to eat.” The Dutch called it the “loathesome fowl.” ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/7 "2007-08-19T18:03:33Z")
[Walghvoghel](http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-6185191/DIGGING-FOR-DODOS.html), apparently – the “repulsive fowl”. They’re not sure though if that was the dodo meat they were talking about, or what the dodo ate. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/8 "2007-08-19T18:03:51Z")
Well, if you were the first to resurrect an extinct species, beating out the mastodon, the Carolina parakeet, the thylacine, and the European lion, I imagine your dodo specimens would be virtually priceless. However, it always comes down to what another person is willing to pay. Heavens knows there are people out there with enough money to throw $100 million at something like that, but I expect it would be closer to a $30 million price tag. Or so. That’s just a wag. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/9 "2007-08-19T18:23:06Z")
You’d have to do it more than once too. There were different types. The one the size of turkeys was the one that tasted the worst and the first that died out if I remember correctly. It wouldn’t have much appeal as a food source, so all money would have to be made from the novelty of owning one. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/10 "2007-08-19T21:18:25Z")
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the world [_doesn’t_ need more pidgeons.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=123647) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/11 "2007-08-19T21:49:30Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] IIRC, the dodo was most certainly **not** “good to eat.” The Dutch called it the “loathesome fowl.” [/QUOTE] Yeah, but it didn’t stop them from killing all of them. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/12 "2007-08-19T22:40:13Z")
Out of curiosity are you begging the question about the relative “priceless” value of ecological diversity as it relates to some of the modern species that are close to extinction but of questionable economic interest or just aren’t that cute? If so, it’s interesting to see how priceless a typical Doper might consider a given species prior to its extinction, but apparently not valuable enough to drop a million on producing a breeding pair following its extinction. Prospect theory at work or something I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/13 "2007-08-19T23:27:13Z")
I’d kick in $10. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/14 "2007-08-20T00:37:56Z")
The value of the dodos would not be much at all. The value of the technology you develop to clone them might be worth billions. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/15 "2007-08-20T03:04:55Z")
Clearly this is a case for… Antique Road Show! Just resurrect one and see how what they value it at. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/16 "2007-08-20T03:35:36Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] The value of the dodos would not be much at all. The value of the technology you develop to clone them might be worth billions. [/QUOTE] Good point, but what if the technology to clone Dodos only works on Dodos? ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/17 "2007-08-20T04:02:09Z")
[QUOTE=The Controvert] Good point, but what if the technology to clone Dodos only works on Dodos? [/QUOTE] Doubtful that any such technology would have no applications outside of creating Dodos. Not clear what the monetary rewards would be, but it’d be wow for getting invited to some good parties and other celebrity-type stuff. More to the OP, I guess it would depend on how well it worked: the first few pairs of Dodos would be near priceless. I suspect that many national zoos and educational institutions would give their eyeteeth for a couple. Anyhow, I’ve seen the pics, and dodos are even kind of cute, in an ugly sort of way. But soon, they’d begin breeding - let us speculate - and most of the novelty value would wear off. At that point: meh. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/18 "2007-08-20T05:14:07Z")
[QUOTE=Civil Guy] Doubtful that any such technology would have no applications outside of creating Dodos. [/QUOTE] Unless my “technology” was a well maintained secret plot to keep a bunch of Dodos alive and hidden away somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/19 "2007-08-20T05:20:36Z")
This is actually a plot point in SM Stirling’s novel _Conquistador_. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140/20 "2007-08-20T05:29:56Z")
[QUOTE=Civil Guy] But soon, they’d begin breeding - let us speculate - and most of the novelty value would wear off. At that point: meh. [/QUOTE] Ah, but what about omlettes made from dodo eggs? Did you think about _that?_ Might have some health benefits we’re currently unaware of! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monetary-value-of-dodo-breeding-pair/416140.md?page=2)