when did the dodo go extinct

The dodo, a flightless bird native to Mauritius, went extinct in the late 17th century due to human activities like hunting and introduced predators.

Traditional Date

Historians long pinpointed 1662 as the dodo's extinction year, based on sailor Volkert Evertsz's confirmed sighting on a Mauritius islet—24 years after the prior record, signaling extreme rarity.

Statistical Estimates

A 2003 study by zoologists David Roberts and Andrew Solow analyzed sightings and calculated 1690 as the likely true date, with 95% confidence, as the bird likely persisted unseen. Other analyses suggest up to 1693 (interval 1688–1715).

Causes and Timeline

• 1598 : Dutch discover Mauritius; dodos thrive predator-free.

• 1600s : Sailors hunt dodos for easy meat; rats, pigs, cats, and dogs devastate nests.

• 1638–1662 : Sightings dwindle; population crashes by 1640s from habitat loss.

• By 1700 : Extinct, per IUCN; Dutch leave Mauritius in 1710.

Debate persists —a 1674 slave report or 1681 ship's log could extend it, but many dismiss them as red rails. No live dodos since, though bones and art endure.

"The dodo was probably extinct by 1700, about a century after its discovery."

Cultural Legacy

Today, the dodo symbolizes human-caused loss, starring in Alice in Wonderland and conservation talks—no revival hopes, unlike de-extinction buzz for mammoths.

TL;DR : Last sighting 1662; extinct ~1690 per stats—humanity's first big biodiversity regret.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.