Scientists Finally Know The Real Reason Dodo Birds Went Extinct
If there’s one thing most people know about
the dodo bird, it’s that they were dumb. If they had been human, they would have been
the kind of person who changes pants while driving. Yes, legend has it, this creature was only
really ever a danger to itself, a true poster child for The Darwin Awards…at least, that’s
the story we’ve been fed. But is it true? Turns out, the whole story that the dumb dodo
got itself hunted to extinction by being so stupid may have been a big load of doodoo. Leon Claessens, Professor of Vertebrate Paleontology
and Evolution at the Netherlands’ Maastricht University, believes the Dutch sailors who
first encountered the bird in 1598 didn’t actually hunt the birds to extinction, though
the sailors likely had an indirect role in the demise of the species. Previously, it was believed the birds were
fat, and were hunted for food. But in the dense jungles of their native Mauritius,
the bird would have been much leaner than previously thought, and therefore, not as
appetizing of a meal. Further, these jungles would have also made
it much harder for the few hundred sailors to catch the birds, regardless of how unafraid
the dodos were of human beings. Claessens believes the real problem was the
rats and other animals that would have landed with the sailors. These animals would have been able to multiply
quickly in an unrestricted habitat, and would have feasted on dodo eggs and outcompeted
them for food, a double-extinction whammy. And then the triple whammy hit: rapid habitat
loss. The island of Mauritius was not initially
considered very valuable; just a place for ships to stop over. Some even thought the island was cursed due
to a large amount of shipwrecks in the area. That all changed when the Dutch realized they
could export the island’s ebony wood for sale, which became the island’s primary economic
activity. Not long after, settlers were turning the
once-wild island into a big agricultural plantation, leading to heavy deforestation and loss of
native plant species. The forest that provided natural protection
for the dodo bird gave way to sugar cane fields, making the birds oversized sitting ducks for
any predator who came along, as the dodos literally had no fight or flight reflex. Lack of flight also made dodos ill-suited
to surviving natural disasters. Evidence has been found that even before human
settlement, many of the birds died in flash floods brought on by cyclones. Once they lost the natural protection of their
sheltered forests, they became even more vulnerable. The entry for “dodo” in the Oxford English
Dictionary describes something that is “no longer effective, valid, or interesting,”
and the origin of the word comes from the Portuguese doudou, translating to “simpleton.” It’s a sad legacy for what was once a beautiful,
totally innocent creature. Beyond their reputation for stupidity, dodos
are a symbol of how quickly and profoundly humans can impact an environment and drive
a species to extinction. Until we can clone them, dodos are gone forever,
and the best thing we can do about it is to learn from the mistakes of our ancestors. It only took a hundred years to wipe out the
dodo, and while exact dates of extinction vary, most believe the dodo was gone by the
1660s, with other reports claiming they lasted on nearby islands until the 1690s. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t
matter much, because either way the bird, and just about every trace of it, is gone
forever. All we’ve got are a few records and sketches
from sailors, and one or two shoddily stuffed birds in museums. We’re hardly even sure what color they were. Most paintings from the time show dodos with
white feathers, but firsthand accounts describe them with gray to black plumage. Heck, we didn’t even know they had kneecaps
until 2014, after a 3D scan of the last remaining skeleton revealed them. So have we learned our lesson? Not yet, it seems: in another hundred years,
it’s estimated that 25 percent of all bird species will be extinct in the wild unless
we take big steps to clean up our act. If not, we’ll be the real dodos. Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Grunge videos about your favorite
animals are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the
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Grunge
November 8, 2019 at 8:37 pmDo you think cloning extinct animals is a good idea, or should we learn our lesson from Jurassic Park?
Nicholas DiMauro
November 12, 2019 at 7:37 pmBefore the phrase “tastes like chicken” because popular, it used to be “tastes like dodo”
H M
November 12, 2019 at 9:35 pm1:07 Cool how the rats have their own landing craft!!!
Dino Di Lucido
November 12, 2019 at 10:08 pmMusic so loud you can't ever hear the fucking narration. Nice job. Well done.
WolraadWoltemade 1652
November 12, 2019 at 11:27 pmAh the Dutch 🥇 ♥ 🇿🇦 ♥ 🥇
Preston Thugman
November 12, 2019 at 11:29 pmI think the music could have been a bit louder , thanks. Ugh. 😑😒 Barely understood anything you've said. Jeez.
Life's Good
November 12, 2019 at 11:31 pmThe only thing dumb in nature is the human being.
Troy Adamson
November 13, 2019 at 12:54 amThe Democrats impeached them to extinction.
Spike Wyvern Zilla
November 13, 2019 at 12:55 amIf the Dodo comes back it will evolve into kulu ya ku then bash humans over the heads with rocks
Jay Lay
November 13, 2019 at 1:16 amHumans ain’t 💩
sailcat9
November 13, 2019 at 1:30 amWhat would be the point of bringing back a dodo (or a mammoth, woolly rhino, ground sloth, etc,) that would justify the effort? The animals would be pretty much solitary examples of their species, there would be little or no genetic diversity among the animals if more than one was cloned, and scientists probably wouldn't produce a stable breeding population because of the cost and difficulty involved thereby leaving any successful clones to die out meaning their species would go extinct all over again. It sounds like there would be little information gained in exchange for what would be a monumental man-made tragedy. So what's the point? Just curious.
Mark Allen
November 13, 2019 at 1:31 amDodo birds discovered humans, realized all life on earth was doomed and committed suicide….
Gerdie Albers
November 13, 2019 at 1:35 amWell congratulations….! NICE DISTRACTION….!!
SmokeMiraJuana
November 13, 2019 at 1:39 amWhy is this so sad.
Stephen Peter
November 13, 2019 at 1:57 amCloning animals that we may have drove to extinction, we should clone. Dinosaurs we need to make sure we know all the possible consequences before we try them.
Blue Crossroads
November 13, 2019 at 2:00 amJust exactly what information did these birds have on the Clintons?
C Web
November 13, 2019 at 2:06 amUntil well clone them?!?!?!🤔
Isaac Lerma
November 13, 2019 at 2:11 amHumans are sadly the Apex Predators of the world we always invade & destroy Mother Nature when she gives us so much.
roof top cat
November 13, 2019 at 3:29 amTry taunting an ostrich with a stick, you'll get your ass shed off you.
Shell knight
November 13, 2019 at 3:32 amDodo: what a beautiful day! Oh? Who is this tall bird?
Man: mmm~ chiken~
…
…
…
Evolution: ah, where'd all the birds go!!
Carri A
November 13, 2019 at 3:56 amBackground noise too loud!!!!! Can't watch.
Victor Bonilla
November 13, 2019 at 4:16 amDinosaurs then = Birds now…Dodo Birds then = Nancy Pelosi now..
😂
Wolf Thorn
November 13, 2019 at 5:25 amwe should clone them so we could eat them.
I get a little bored of only chicken all the time.
littlebit
November 13, 2019 at 6:18 amPeople dont learn. We are locus
beatrix the great
November 13, 2019 at 6:23 amPoor things, humans destroyed their habitats then called them stupid
Sunny Dae
November 13, 2019 at 6:56 amHuman beings always have to screw things up for every other living thing
Thando Khuse
November 13, 2019 at 7:14 amNah,, the dodo was killed off by Europeans, don't give us this propaganda!
biggavelle11
November 13, 2019 at 8:54 amCmon ppl we all know the flintstones are responsible
jopageri1964
November 13, 2019 at 10:07 amInteresting assessment. A tad speculative, but reasonable. The only major flaw in this video is the incredibly irritating and inappropriate badly thought out soundtrack. What the Hell was that?
Robert Westerman
November 13, 2019 at 11:42 amThey can’t be extinct , I work with 3 of them . ?
Dman Law
November 13, 2019 at 1:06 pmI got as far as one minute and 47 seconds before nearly lost my mind listening to the background music. What a shame I really wanted to learn something but not at the cost of my sanity. For that it gets a thumbs down and my negative comment.
Letify
November 13, 2019 at 2:55 pmsex
samson Delilah
November 13, 2019 at 5:11 pmDodo is delicious food
joey kill
November 13, 2019 at 7:45 pmThere go's Our last female
Classic American
November 13, 2019 at 8:57 pmJoe did it.
STUPID jante
November 13, 2019 at 9:59 pm#teamtrees Philippines
Michael Szczys
November 13, 2019 at 10:38 pmToo bad they didn’t save some. Maybe they were tasty and could have been raised like turkeys and chickens
Israel Moreno
November 13, 2019 at 11:11 pmThe Mexican’t people ate em all till there was no more ………..
Island Fusion
November 13, 2019 at 11:33 pmI like the music in this video, what is it?
Michael Horton
November 13, 2019 at 11:37 pmThey aren’t extinct. They became the gop by devolving.
msw51995
November 14, 2019 at 12:00 amTrump did it
les allan
November 14, 2019 at 12:01 amThey never developed how to whistle due to their enormous beak subsequently were unable to communicate with each other,well that's just as good an explanation you'll get from the official bollocks from this or that university
msw51995
November 14, 2019 at 12:03 amThe sailer sleighed the butts of the squaws
struggler 87
November 14, 2019 at 12:11 amWe didn't do it
GoldenState
November 14, 2019 at 12:49 amLike many animals, they didn't have the instinct to fear humans yet.
Matthew Jacobi
November 14, 2019 at 1:17 amPoor DoDos
endou mamoro
November 14, 2019 at 1:24 amWhite man saves the day AGAIN🥰
Jeffro 56
November 14, 2019 at 1:31 amAOC said it was cow farts and climate change
G1 Grimlock
November 14, 2019 at 1:55 amThe humans eating Dodo because taste like chicken
kurt robinson
November 14, 2019 at 2:14 amMan sits on the dawn of a new age. Clone extinct species, develop AI with the programming to kill. If movies and TV tell us anything, guess who's going to be extinct soon.
raven11356
November 14, 2019 at 3:18 amHey! I've changed my pants while driving.
Blaze
November 14, 2019 at 4:29 am2:43 "Well yes, but actually no"
Quietfox
November 14, 2019 at 4:39 amSo they were just retarded right?
r juttemeijer
November 14, 2019 at 4:42 amNice story, but please kill the stupid and disturbing music.
Stanley Jedrzejczyk
November 14, 2019 at 5:24 amDodos were the Democrat voting Base of the Avian Species…
Stanley Jedrzejczyk
November 14, 2019 at 5:33 amThe REAL reason Dodo's became extinct is their extensive involvement with Hillary Clinton…
50magnum805
November 14, 2019 at 8:17 amThey weren’t stupid they just didn’t have any predators so they lacked fear
Grimgore The Bastard
November 14, 2019 at 8:24 amHumans are the reason for their extinction
david mills
November 14, 2019 at 8:36 amif you go to the island of the dodo you will see a kfd sign on a old hut
GuderII
November 14, 2019 at 9:42 amNo no no. dodo extinct coz some square try to hide some peanut
https://youtu.be/dWFCw1v8zbs
Yep
Friend Chicken
November 14, 2019 at 10:39 amThe Dodo is a Big Pigeon.
Libnitez Bandz
November 14, 2019 at 1:23 pmDodos are so weird and cute.
Critter Cosner
November 14, 2019 at 2:05 pmTalks about ebony wood, shows a White Oak falling…
keahistight
November 14, 2019 at 2:46 pmMusic is fail
JokingPat
November 14, 2019 at 2:57 pmhttps://youtu.be/GeMN3p3NBOk
Morgan8378
November 14, 2019 at 3:33 pmThis isn't new
Sal Ortiz
November 14, 2019 at 4:55 pmThe bird did not become extinct out of ignorance it became extinct due to fucking people being stupid
Ricky Scott
November 14, 2019 at 5:48 pmAll scientist do is lie about everything. Question were you there? I rest my case!
Sidottu
November 14, 2019 at 5:49 pmDOOM ON YOU….
Hikari Azuriel
November 14, 2019 at 8:13 pmThe background music was annoying! It doesn't fit to video!
Russell Roesner
November 14, 2019 at 9:23 pmDid you know that of the 100s of islands in FIJI there are only a couple islands left without cats and guess what? Islands with cats have less than 10% of original bird population FIJI has more extinct bird species than any other country….due to cats and rats. Look it up!
King Rothschild
November 14, 2019 at 9:39 pmSad sad sad
L U S T
November 14, 2019 at 9:42 pmHonestly. Nature would be the most beautfiful without humans
Sheba Lee
November 14, 2019 at 9:46 pmWhy so much interest in this bird?
Eva Ries
November 14, 2019 at 9:46 pmWhat has irked me for a long time is that humans (mammals) have constantly looked down their primate snouts pretending that birds, and this species particularly, was/is "stupid."
Avians are in fact superior to most mammal species in a variety of ways, INCLUDING intelligence.
And the truth, which finally surfaces at some point, is still an indictment against the invasive, destructive behavior of our species collectively. There has been NO region of the planet where humans have been which has not experienced habitat destruction and persecution of other animal species.
The notion that this species of bird was "too dumb to survive" is the babbling of an insecure ape who strips and consumes the world around it, and then makes up imbecilic excuses borne of utter egotistical ignorance to rationalize away its crimes against other species.
Have we learned anything? Will we learn anything? How many more species will be exterminated in a holocaust of the planet's biota until we do?
LookYourShoe'sUntied
November 14, 2019 at 10:09 pmdoo doo
WildBill Fromoverthehill
November 15, 2019 at 12:05 amThey discovered the Stellar Sea Cow in 1741. And they ate the last one in 1768.
Ralph Garcia
November 15, 2019 at 12:10 ambecause of humans
Chris Jameson’s channel 1
November 15, 2019 at 12:32 amThe Clintons did it
Charles Foster
November 15, 2019 at 1:25 amI wonder how all the thousands of creatures went extinct before humans…just a thought. Oh and maybe that’s what y’all “progressives” need to do….THINK
eddie_taco 23
November 15, 2019 at 2:28 amThat's just sad 😢
Bom Trown
November 15, 2019 at 2:31 amThose computer dodos look plenty plump.
Bom Trown
November 15, 2019 at 2:33 amand how do you know all dodos were "innocent"?
Radka Hunter
November 15, 2019 at 3:40 amYeah!!…..we are….unfortunately…..the dodos!!…..humans destroying there own home!!….😬🥴
Monado6
November 15, 2019 at 4:35 amDodos weren't important to the ecosystem
Bawsah Koopa 2.0
November 15, 2019 at 5:25 amThey are not dumb.
What a fucking insult,i'm not animalist,but it's so stupid trying to criticise a nature animal.
Imagine if you live in a exotic closed space,and your body is "strange" and you must survuve the circumstances.
Poor Dodo…. Stay in the Heaven of extinct animals.
theresia2012
November 15, 2019 at 5:25 amValerian and a cities of 1000 planets
Alex Sandoval
November 15, 2019 at 5:25 amThis video would have been way better without that gay ass song in the background .
RUMORS
November 15, 2019 at 7:04 amI wish this bird species still exist tho, kinda cute.
I would like to pet 1 or 2 or 3…or 4
mm..
Tracie Walker
November 15, 2019 at 7:13 amInteresting 😊 Lose the annoying music though, it's distracting.
Francis Raffaut
November 15, 2019 at 7:32 amIt was us who bought the rats along with cats and dogs to my Mums land of Mauritius, so it was humans who killed off the Dodo. My Dad is from Rodrigues again the Solitare and the Long Neck Turtle we're taken out by us. We need to learn from our mistakes take responsibility for what we have done and stop trying to find excuses through science that we don't need to hold any guilt for our destruction✌
Father Gabriel Stokes
November 15, 2019 at 7:37 amI have a Dodo in my closet. Damn it, there's scientists on their way to my house now. I may not be heard of again…
The Siamese
November 15, 2019 at 7:40 amNo no theyre developed to "americans"
ギルガメシュ
November 15, 2019 at 8:43 amHold on i've seen a dodo before..
Pop Culture Crew News & Reviews
November 15, 2019 at 10:20 amThe real reason the dodo went extinct. TASTED LIKE CHICKEN
0m3n
November 15, 2019 at 10:28 amThat's messed up. We've screwed over so many species
Datu Rajiev Indal
November 15, 2019 at 11:27 amJust like the Kiwi, they didn't have predators. That's why they didn't have to fear for their life all the time.
Datu Rajiev Indal
November 15, 2019 at 11:34 amMistakes from our ancestors? No way. It's your ancestors' mistakes.
My ancestors valued the balance of nature and the life of animals. Fight me.
destroyer of minecraft
November 15, 2019 at 11:35 amDodo bird was one of the smartest birds you idiot!
Tina McLaughlin
November 15, 2019 at 11:43 amHumans are the Dodos for being the plunderer of God's green earth.