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The dodo has had a bad rap.

The flightless bird was a species native to Mauritius. It has long served as an evolutionary cautionary tale for ineptness: It has been depicted as slow and clumsy, leading to the belief that it was destined for extinction, according to Live Science.

Now, scientists are trying to rehabilitate its image, saying much of what we know about the bird is wrong, according to a new study.

“The mystery of the dodo bird is about to be cracked wide open,” said Markus Heller, professor of biomechanics at the University of Southampton, and a co-author of the paper. “It’s like solving a 300-year-old puzzle, and the solution might just help us prevent more birds from going the way of the dodo.”

Dutch sailors first encountered the creature in 1598 when they arrived on the island. Then, decades of hunting, habitat loss and introduction of invasive species into Mauritius resulted in the dodo going extinct – the last sighting was in 1662.

But researchers have noted that earlier records of the bird species were confusing and inconsistent, partly because modern taxonomic methods were almost non-existent at the time. As a result, various mythical species like the Nazarene dodo and the White Solitaire were mistakenly classified.

A research team recently conducted an expansive review of more than 400 years of literature and specimens to clarify the dodo’s classification – and vindicate its reputation.

They discovered that the dodo and the closely related solitaire were members of the Columbid family, which includes pigeons and doves. Both birds were initially thought to be mythical or exaggerated due to the vague and varied descriptions from early explorers.

The team also found that the flightless avian was likely leaner than historically depicted and possibly had darker feathers, wrote the Natural History Museum in London.

And it was no slow-poke.

“Evidence from bone specimens suggests that the Dodo’s tendon which closed its toes was exceptionally powerful, analogous to (those of) climbing and running birds alive today,” co-author Neil Gostling said in a statement. “These creatures were perfectly adapted to their environment.”

Gostling and his team believe that the creature played a crucial role in Mauritius’ environment, adding that more research on the bird could provide insights into the recovery of ecosystems on the island that were disrupted by its extinction.

The paper also emphasizes the importance of studying extinct species – not only to correct historical inaccuracies, but also to apply lessons learned to current conservation efforts.

Clarification: In Wednesday’s THE WORLD, BRIEFLY section, we said in our “Too Much of a Good Thing” item that Canada’s temporary workers make up nearly seven percent of the country’s population. The original Reuters article specifically mentions that this percentage is related to temporary residents in the country. We apologize for the confusion.

Correction: Also in Wednesday’s THE WORLD BRIEFLY section, our Malaysia map incorrectly displayed “Jakarta” as the country’s capital. The actual capital is Kuala Lumpur. We apologize for the error.