Does this ancient Egyptian wall painting depict an extinct species of geese?

When ancient Egyptian artists painted a strange but vibrant geese on the side of a tomb 4,600 years ago, they never expected that they would become the subject of rigorous modern scientific study, but are these geese an extinct species, or is it just a fictional artistic journey? We ask experts.

One of the joys of exploring art is the challenge of understanding the artist's original intent. Whether thinking of a painting or a musical performance, the creative drive is always fascinating, according to birdlife.org.


The painting is considered a masterpiece, until it was called "The Mona Lisa in Ancient Egypt". The fresco was painted on the northern wall of what would become the tomb of Nefermatt and It, in Meidum, Egypt.

Artworks from this site contain very realistic images of birds and other mammals. ”This revelation sparked new research speculating that the birds depicted are a distinct species (and now extinct).

Notably, this study is very effective in identifying species, using quantitative measurements of key bird traits, and greatly strengthens the information value for zoology and the environment. "