Facts about Dodo Bird Extinction History

1. 05

   Introduced species such as rats, pigs, and monkeys devastated dodo populations by destroying eggs and competing for food on Mauritius.

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2. 04

   Subfossil bones recovered from Mauritius have allowed scientists to reconstruct the dodo's anatomy and confirm it was a giant flightless pigeon.

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3. 03

   Dutch sailors first encountered the dodo on Mauritius in 1598, and their written accounts provided some of the earliest European descriptions of the flightless bird.

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4. 02

   Last reliable sightings of the dodo are generally dated to around 1662, based on accounts by the castaway Volkert Evertsz.

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5. 01

   The dodo, native to Mauritius, is believed to have gone extinct in the late 17th century, largely due to hunting by sailors and predation by introduced animals.

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