 Even though the rareness of the dodo was reported already in the 17th century , its extinction was not recognised until the 19th century . This was partly because , for religious reasons , extinction was not believed possible until later proved so by Georges Cuvier , and partly because many scientists doubted that the dodo had ever existed . It seemed altogether too strange a creature , and many believed it a myth . The bird was first used as an example of human @-@ induced extinction in Penny Magazine in 1833 . 
