But how much do we know about when they became extinct, and is it even possible to accurately state when the last dodo on the planet died? Read on to learn what our research into these questions found out.

The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo's closest relative was the also-extinct and flightless Rodrigues solitaire.

The dodo was extinct by 1681, the Réunion solitaire by 1746, and the Rodrigues solitaire by about 1790. The dodo is frequently cited as one of the most well-known examples of human-induced extinction and also serves as a symbol of obsolescence with respect to human technological progress. (Read E.O. Wilson’s Britannica essay on mass extinction.)

You have almost certainly heard about the dodo bird in your biology class—a fat, gormless bird that died at the hands of callous sailors. Since these innocuous birds went extinct a few centuries ago, we now only have their historical descriptions, illustrations, and a few skeleton specimens preserved in museums.

Sept. 20, 2024. The dodo was a flightless bird about the size of a male turkey that had a long, hooked beak and the goofy charm of an emperor penguin.