INTHEEARLY1680s,atjustaboutthetimethatEdmondHalleyandhisfriendsChristopherWrenandRobertHookeweresettlingdowninaLondoncoffeehouseandembarkingonthecasualwagerthatwouldresulteventuallyinIsaaewton’sPrincipia,Henrydish’sweighingoftheEarth,andmanyoftheotherinspiredandendableuakingsthathaveoccupiedusformuchofthepastfourhundredpages,aratherlessdesirablemilestonewasbeingpassedontheislandofMauritius,faroutintheIndianOsomeeighthundredmilesofftheeastcoastofMadagascar.

    There,somefottensailororsailor’spetwasharryingtodeaththelastofthedodos,thefamouslyflightlessbirdwhosedimbuttrustingnatureandlackofleggyzipmadeitaratherirresistibletargetforboredyoungtarsonshoreleave.Millionsofyearsofpeacefulisolationhadnotprepareditfortheerratiddeeplyunnervingbehaviorofhumanbeings.

    Wedon’tknowpreciselythecircumstances,orevenyear,attendimomentsofthelastdodo,sowedon’tknowwhicharrivedfirst,aworldthattainedaPrincipiaorohadnododos,butwedoknowthattheyhappemoreorlessthesametime.Youwouldbehardpressed,Iwouldsubmit,tofierpairingofoccurreoillustratethedivineandfeloniousnatureofthehumanbeing—aspeciesanismthatiscapableofunpigthedeepestsecretsoftheheavenswhileatthesametimepoundingiin,fornopurposeatall,acreaturethatneverdidusanyharmandwasn’teveelycapableofuandingeredoingtoitaswedidit.Indeed,dodosweresospectacularlyshortoninsight,itisreported,thatifyouwishedtofindallthedodosinaviityyouhadonlytocateaosquawking,andalltheotherswouldwaddlealongtoseewhat.

    Theindighepoordododidn’tendquitethere.In1755,som