What Happened to The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus)?
The Dodo, a flightless bird endemic to Mauritius, was first documented by Dutch sailors in 1598 and rapidly driven to extinction by the late 17th century due to human hunting, habitat destruction, and introduced invasive species. Today, it stands as a potent symbol of human-induced extinction, while scientific advancements, particularly by Colossal Biosciences, are exploring its potential de-extinction with breakthroughs in genetic engineering and habitat restoration efforts ongoing as of 2026.
Quick Answer
The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) went extinct in the late 17th century, primarily between 1662 and 1690, less than a century after its discovery by European sailors. Its demise was caused by a combination of human hunting, destruction of its forest habitat, and predation on its single annual egg by introduced invasive species like rats, pigs, and monkeys. Currently, the Dodo remains extinct, but biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences is actively working on a de-extinction project, having made significant progress in culturing pigeon primordial germ cells and aiming to produce a living dodo within five to seven years, with habitat restoration efforts underway in Mauritius.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline15 events
Portuguese Sailors Discover Mauritius
Portuguese sailors first sighted the island of Mauritius, though they did not establish settlements. This marks the earliest European contact with the dodo's habitat.
Dutch Sailors Officially Discover the Dodo
Dutch ships arrived in Mauritius and made the first recorded mention and detailed observations of the dodo, naming the island after Prince Maurice van Nassau.
Live Dodos Brought to Europe and India
Several dodos were captured and transported to Europe and India, where they were kept in menageries and became subjects for early paintings, though many died en route.
Oxford Dodo Specimen First Cataloged
The 'Oxford Dodo,' comprising a skull with skin, a foot, and other remains, was first listed in a catalogue of the Tradescant collection, becoming one of the few surviving dodo specimens.
Last Widely Accepted Sighting
Dutch sailor Volkert Evertsz recorded the last widely accepted sighting of a dodo, marking a critical point in its rapid decline.
Dodo Declared Extinct
While the last confirmed sighting was in 1662, statistical analyses and historical accounts estimate the dodo's final extinction occurred between 1681 and 1690, less than a century after its discovery.
Dodo Popularized in 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'
Lewis Carroll's inclusion of the dodo as a character in his famous novel significantly boosted the bird's cultural recognition, cementing its image as a symbol of extinction.
First Dodo DNA Analysis
American geneticist Beth Shapiro and colleagues conducted the first DNA analysis of the dodo, confirming its placement within the pigeon and dove family (Columbidae) and identifying the Nicobar pigeon as its closest living relative.
Dodo Genome Fully Sequenced
Scientists at the Genomics Institute at the University of California, Santa Cruz, led by Beth Shapiro, successfully sequenced the dodo's complete genome from a museum specimen.
Colossal Biosciences Announces Dodo De-Extinction Project
Biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences adds the dodo to its de-extinction pipeline, aiming to bring the species back using genetic engineering.
Study Reveals Dodo Was Fast and Powerful
New research published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society challenges the long-held misconception of the dodo as a slow, clumsy bird, suggesting it was agile and powerful.
Colossal Biosciences Achieves Breakthrough in Avian Germ Cells
Colossal Biosciences announces a pivotal step in dodo de-extinction by successfully culturing pigeon primordial germ cells (PGCs) in a lab, setting a timeline of five to seven years for a living dodo.
Dodo Relative Manumea Spotted in Samoa
One of the dodo's closest living relatives, the critically endangered manumea (Didunculus strigirostris), was spotted multiple times in a remote Samoan rainforest, offering hope for its conservation.
Colossal Biosciences Partners for Habitat Restoration
Colossal Biosciences partners with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation to restore habitat on Mauritius, a crucial step for the eventual reintroduction of a de-extinct dodo.
Colossal Biosciences Continues De-Extinction Efforts
Colossal Biosciences, valued at over $10 billion, continues to advance its de-extinction projects, including the dodo, through gene editing and partnerships, aiming to inspire broader conservation efforts.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a large, flightless bird native exclusively to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Evolving in isolation without natural predators, the dodo developed a fearless demeanor towards humans, a trait that ultimately contributed to its rapid demise. First encountered by Dutch sailors in 1598, the bird's population plummeted dramatically within decades.
The extinction of the dodo was a complex tragedy, not solely due to direct hunting, although sailors did kill the birds for food, despite reports of their tough and unpalatable flesh. The primary drivers of its extinction were the destruction of its forest habitat for timber and agriculture, and critically, the introduction of invasive species by European settlers. Rats, pigs, monkeys, dogs, and cats, brought inadvertently or intentionally, preyed voraciously on the dodo's eggs and chicks. Given that dodos typically laid only one large egg per year, their reproductive rate was insufficient to withstand these new pressures.
For centuries after its disappearance, the dodo became a cultural icon, often depicted as clumsy and unintelligent, a misconception largely based on early illustrations of overfed captive birds. However, modern research, including a 2024 study, suggests the dodo was likely fast, powerful, and well-adapted to its ecosystem. Its extinction served as one of the earliest and most poignant examples of human-induced biodiversity loss, solidifying its status as a symbol of obsolescence.
In recent years, scientific interest in the dodo has intensified, particularly with advancements in paleogenetics. In 2002, American geneticist Beth Shapiro and her team conducted the first DNA analysis of the dodo, confirming its close relationship to pigeons, specifically the Nicobar pigeon. A major breakthrough occurred in 2022 when the dodo's complete genome was successfully sequenced from a DNA sample obtained from a skull at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
Building on this, in January 2023, biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences announced its ambitious project to de-extinct the dodo. The company has since made significant strides, including a pivotal breakthrough in September 2025, where its scientists successfully cultured pigeon primordial germ cells (PGCs)—the precursors to sperm and eggs in birds. This achievement is crucial because avian de-extinction cannot rely on mammalian cloning techniques. Colossal aims to use gene-edited pigeon PGCs, injected into surrogate chicken embryos, to eventually produce dodo offspring. As of February 2026, Colossal Biosciences has partnered with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) to restore critical dodo habitat on Mauritius, preparing for the eventual reintroduction of the species. The company has set a timeline of five to seven years to produce a living dodo, making its potential return a tangible, albeit challenging, scientific endeavor by 2030-2032.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) made different choices?