Syndactyly is the medical term for webbed or conjoined fingers or toes. In most cases the fingers are connected only by skin. It is rare that the bones are also fused together.
Dodo birds became extinct because of the combination of overhunting by humans and non-native predators that were introduced by humans to their native island. Dodo birds only inhabited the island of Mauritius, where they had no natural predators. Accordingly, the dodo bird had lost the power of flight and possessed few defensive behaviors by the time humans arrived on the island.
Find out about the extinct and endangered animals in the Museum. Dodo Coelacanth Thylacine Blue whale Golden toad Giant panda Passenger pigeon Schaus' swallowtail Go to the Homepage to find out about hippos and the causes of extinction.