383 The “Young Master” Status

Li Du asked, "Both of you have been examining it so closely—was it to verify if it was a complete dodo specimen?"

Steve smiled. "No, we checked for several things. Not just its completeness, but also its authenticity."

Li Du was curious. "Why do you need to check the authenticity?"

Steve explained, "As the prices of the dodo’s specimens have risen in recent years, many people have started to produce fake specimens."

"How does one fake it?"

Steve thought for a moment and then asked, "Did you know that the dodo's bones are not very uncommon? It’s the complete dodo specimen that is rare."

Li Du was aware, as he had read about this previously. In October 2005, a group of Dutch biologists had discovered an important dodo site in Mauritius, and had found the skeletal remains of many dodo birds from many different ages.