Contributing to this is the island’s volcanic origin, its age, its isolation, and its unique terrain. Some of the rarest plants and animals in the world are found there, but human interference with nature, human habitats, and the introduction of alien species, have threatened the native flora and fauna. Before the arrival of the Portuguese to Mauritius in 1507, there were no land mammals on the island. This allowed many flightless birds and large reptile species to evolve. The arrival of humans there resulted in the rapid destruction of habitats and the consequent extinction of much of the endemic flora and fauna.
A particularly conspicuous example of this is the extinction of the endemic flightless dodo bird, which figures in the coat of arms of Mauritius.
