The real reason dodo birds went extinct - Leon Claessens

Uncover the most common misperceptions about dodos, and find out the truth of how the flightless birds actually went extinct.

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Dodos are commonly considered brainless, blundering birds that were poorly adapted and doomed to die off, making their human-mediated extinction effortless and inevitable. But that’s not the case. So, what were dodos actually like? And what really caused their downfall? Leon Claessens uncovers the truth about these misunderstood and maligned creatures.

Lesson by Leon Claessens, directed by Denys Spolitak.

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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Jennifer Heald, Megulo Abebe, isolwi, Kate Sem, Ujjwal Dasu, Angel Alberici, Minh Quan Dinh, Sylvain, Terran Gimpel, Talia Sari, Katie McDowell, Allen, Mahina Knuckles, Charmaine Hanson, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, Brian A. Dunn, Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers, Avinash Amarnath, Xuebicoco, Rayo, Po Foon Kwong, Boffin, Jesse Jurman, Scott Markley, Elija Peterson, Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey and Yelena Baykova.

[shramanadasdutta]

The imagery of skulls in the hourglass made my heart pound and then sink. Beautifully done.

[Lyrichx]

As a Mauritian, I love people trying to revive the dodo!

[corradofearless]

An unexpected example of evolutionary success, the DODO was not only a victim of collateral human action but also of popular culture.

[StarrySpace]

There is a Dodo monument in Japan because they recently found records of the bird traded in from the Netherlands!

[lesussie]

It is always easier to blame things by framing them as a personal failure. It absolves us of recognizing our own fault and responsibility

[fantasticurs]

The fame of the dodo depends on the literary context. In Chile, kids used to read a story called "Why you shouldn't hunt a Dodo", by Saúl Schkolnik, which tells the story of a weaver, who used to make fabric out of coconut fibers. But he and his wife hated the dodos because the bird used to eat these coconuts. When the dodos were gone, something weird happened: there were less palm tree shoots... because the palm needed to be ingested by the dodos first to start sprouting. As there were fewer trees, fewer hummingbirds were around the young palm trees, and therefore fewer orchids were pollinated... the crabs did not find the orchids to place their nests, which were made out of coconut fiber, which was the material that the weaver needed for making the fabric. The weaver and his wife were desolated. "What has happened?, they both asked themselves, without knowing that they were responsible for everything that happened to them for having killed the Dodos. They didn't know it and wouldn't know it, but you do know it, so if you see one, which won't be easy, you will know why you can't hunt a Dodo."

[ThrillSeeker]

Because Phineas and Ferb haven't found one yet

[LordBrittish]

We humans are excellent at blaming others for our mistakes.

[QuarterLifeCrises]

Awww... I feel so bad for the Dodo. I hope the last one wasn't too lonely before it died.

[aryamankejriwal]

The last line of this video is probably the best of any ted Ed video I’ve seen

[mrrandom.]

The best life lessons are always from Ted ED. Keep it up!

[Finley.qdaly]

Humans really rubbed salt into the wound by making fun of dodos 😢

[felineboy]

I love this channel so much not even an exaggeration

[krimzon]

2:14 But everything changed when the Dutch Nation attacked

[abbytrandel]

I would love to hear about Tasmanian Tiger if that’s possible. I’ve heard there’s been Tasmanian Tiger still alive today, but it’s unconfirmed to this date.

[liamgrenouillaud]

As a Mauritian I’m so happy to see that the history of our island is spread world wide

[nameunavailable]

I love this channel so much, so entertaining and educational

[ursatzotschew]

Oh I wish Dodos still existed; they seem kinda cute, but also just an extremely small impressive species!

[blukmagetypeR]

"Dead 😵 as the dodo bird."

-Bird Narrator from _"It's Tough to be a Bird"_

[Dheeraj]

The 🦤 is a fascinating yet tragic Bird of natural history. Native to the isolated island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, this unique avian species was marked by distinctive features—most notably, a large, hooked beak and a stout, robust body. Despite its seemingly clumsy appearance, the dodo had thrived in its isolated habitat, free from the presence of land mammals and predators. However, the arrival of Dutch people in the late 16th century, accompanied by introduced species like rats, pigs, and monkeys, set off a chain of events that would ultimately lead to the dodo's demise.

The flightlessness of the dodo proved to be a fatal disadvantage in the face of these newfound threats. With no natural defenses against the invasive species brought by humans, the dodo population rapidly declined. The birds were not only hunted for food but also faced competition for resources from the introduced animals. The last confirmed sighting of a living dodo occurred in the late 17th century, and by the turn of the 18th century, this peculiar species had become extinct.

The extinction of the dodo holds significance beyond its individual fate. It has come to symbolize the broader consequences of human impact on fragile ecosystems and the extinction crisis. The dodo's plight serves as a stark reminder of the irreversible consequences of environmental disruption, prompting reflection on the importance of conservation and the need to safeguard biodiversity in the face of ongoing anthropogenic changes. As we marvel at the curious tale of the dodo, we are urged to consider the broader implications for our responsibility in preserving the diversity of life on Earth.