There were still a number of habitable but uninhabited islands discovered by European sailors during the early-Modern period, such as Mauritius, home of the dearly departed Dodo. As you might imagine, these tended to be quite isolated geographically.

Hiya!

I have approved this question, but you may also want to ask the folks over at /r/AskAnthropology, who may be able to provide you with some excellent discussions. :)