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For about 9 million years, Mauritius was created by intermittent volcanism. As of late, notwithstanding, as revealed in the New York Times this week, a geologist has found the presence of mainland hull underneath the volcanic stone. In essence, it appears that the volcanism was caused by oceanic crust subducting beneath the continental fragment or by a hotspot that formed nearby or beneath it; the last option appears to be more uncertain.
Around 200 million years ago, the continental fragment split off from Gondwana, forming the Southern Continents (Africa, South America, Antarctica, India, and Australia). Another Gondwana-related continental fragment is the Madagascar-Seychelles platform, which can be found north of Mauritius. These exotic terranes may eventually fuse to the edges of the major continents, as they move around the globe as oceans open and close.