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The odd-looking bird known as Raphus cucullatus in scientific circles, but commonly called the dodo, was only known to humans for a scant 80-some years before it disappeared off the face of the Earth. Portuguese sailors discovered the creature in 1598 on Mauritius, a small island off the coast of Africa. The bird had no natural predators before the arrival of humans, and so it was not afraid of these strange new interlopers. Mistaking its lack of fear for a lack of intelligence, the sailors
called the bird the "dodo" from the Portuguese "doudou," meaning "simpleton." After the remote island became inhabited by humans, the dodo's fate was sealed. The poor fowl had lived in relative isolation for so long that it had few defenses and proved to be easy prey for humans and the animals they brought with them. The flightless bird was hunted for sport and food by humans, and its eggs, laid individually in nests on the ground, were devoured by dogs, cats, and pigs. By 1681, the entire species was wiped out. Two similar species were discovered on nearby islands, but sadly, they fared no better and were both extinct by 1750. On
an interesting side note, not only did the extinction of the dodo deprive the world of one of nature's most curious creations, it almost led to the extinction of yet another species, a certain type of tree whose seeds could only germinate after passing through the digestive tract of the dodo. With the disappearance of the dodo, the tree was slowly dying out. There were only 13 trees left when it was discovered that turkeys could also be used to help the seeds activate, and the tree, now known as the dodo tree, has avoided extinction for the time being.
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