Home

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 08:14

    France's Unibail-Rodamco to buy Australia's Westfield: statement

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 23:11

    Trump wants Congress to fix 'lax' immigration after NY attack

  • Sydney (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 23:10

    ANZ Bank sells life insurance arm to Zurich for US$2.14 bn

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 21:25

    Trump tells NASA to send Americans to Moon

  • New York (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 18:34

    Apple to buy song recognition app Shazam

  • London (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 17:05

    Brexit deal shows UK can leave EU in 'smooth and orderly' way: May

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 15:55

    China fails to block UN meeting on North Korea human rights

  • New York (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 15:25

    Four hurt in New York explosion, none life-threatening

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 15:11

    Man held over jihadist murders of French police couple

  • Cairo (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 15:11

    Putin calls for Mideast talks to resume, including on Jerusalem

  • Los Angeles (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 14:55

    'The Shape of Water' leads Golden Globe nominations with seven

  • Cairo (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 14:35

    Cairo, Moscow sign contract for Egypt's first nuclear plant

  • New York (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 14:03

    Police responding to explosion of 'unknown origin' in Manhattan

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 11:18

    Putin orders partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria: agencies

  • New Delhi (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 11:10

    India's Congress party names Rahul Gandhi president

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 11:06

    Putin in surprise visit to Russia's airbase in Syria

  • Riyadh (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 09:43

    Saudi Arabia lifts ban on cinemas: government

  • Brussels (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 08:50

    Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital 'makes peace possible': Netanyahu

  • Brussels (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 08:46

    EU's Mogherini condemns 'all attacks on Jews everywhere'

  • Manila (Philippines) (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 05:35

    Philippines' Duterte seeks martial law extension for south

  • New York (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 00:28

    Bitcoin makes stock exchange debut at $15,000 Bitcoin makes debut on major stock exchange at $15,000 per unit Bitcoin makes debut on major stock exchange at $15,000 per unit

  • Caracas (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 00:11

    Main opposition parties barred from next presidential vote: Venezuela's Maduro

  • Jerusalem (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 21:49

    Palestinians 'walking away' from talks with Pence snub: US

  • Doha (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 18:20

    Qatar signs $8-bln deal to buy 24 Typhoon fighters from UK

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 17:24

    Macron urges Netanyahu to freeze Israeli settlement building

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 17:08

    Netanyahu accuses Erdogan of helping 'terrorists'

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 17:03

    Macron urges Netanyahu to show 'courage' with Palestinians

  • Aden (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 16:22

    Air raids on Yemen rebel training camp kill 26: security sources

  • Calais (France) (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 14:24

    Ferry runs aground at France's Calais port: official

  • Vatican City (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 13:33

    Pope renews call for 'wisdom and prudence' over Jerusalem: Vatican

  • Istanbul (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 13:13

    Erdogan calls Israel 'terrorist state'

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 12:57

    Major recall of Lactalis baby milk over salmonella fears

  • Jerusalem (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 11:14

    Israel says demolishes tunnel from Gaza into its territory

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 17:49

    US hails end of IS 'vile occupation' in Iraq

  • Cairo (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 14:24

    Egypt's Coptic Pope rejects Pence meeting over Jerusalem: statement

  • Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 13:03

    Palestinian president will not meet Pence: adviser

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 11:59

    'National homage' to French rocker Johnny Hallyday begins in Paris: AFP

  • Baghdad (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 11:45

    Iraqi PM declares 'end of war against IS' in Iraq

Home

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 08:14

    France's Unibail-Rodamco to buy Australia's Westfield: statement

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 23:11

    Trump wants Congress to fix 'lax' immigration after NY attack

  • Sydney (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 23:10

    ANZ Bank sells life insurance arm to Zurich for US$2.14 bn

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 21:25

    Trump tells NASA to send Americans to Moon

  • New York (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 18:34

    Apple to buy song recognition app Shazam

  • London (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 17:05

    Brexit deal shows UK can leave EU in 'smooth and orderly' way: May

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 15:55

    China fails to block UN meeting on North Korea human rights

  • New York (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 15:25

    Four hurt in New York explosion, none life-threatening

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 15:11

    Man held over jihadist murders of French police couple

  • Cairo (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 15:11

    Putin calls for Mideast talks to resume, including on Jerusalem

  • Los Angeles (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 14:55

    'The Shape of Water' leads Golden Globe nominations with seven

  • Cairo (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 14:35

    Cairo, Moscow sign contract for Egypt's first nuclear plant

  • New York (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 14:03

    Police responding to explosion of 'unknown origin' in Manhattan

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 11:18

    Putin orders partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria: agencies

  • New Delhi (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 11:10

    India's Congress party names Rahul Gandhi president

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 11:06

    Putin in surprise visit to Russia's airbase in Syria

  • Riyadh (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 09:43

    Saudi Arabia lifts ban on cinemas: government

  • Brussels (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 08:50

    Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital 'makes peace possible': Netanyahu

  • Brussels (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 08:46

    EU's Mogherini condemns 'all attacks on Jews everywhere'

  • Manila (Philippines) (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 05:35

    Philippines' Duterte seeks martial law extension for south

  • New York (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 00:28

    Bitcoin makes stock exchange debut at $15,000 Bitcoin makes debut on major stock exchange at $15,000 per unit Bitcoin makes debut on major stock exchange at $15,000 per unit

  • Caracas (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 00:11

    Main opposition parties barred from next presidential vote: Venezuela's Maduro

  • Jerusalem (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 21:49

    Palestinians 'walking away' from talks with Pence snub: US

  • Doha (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 18:20

    Qatar signs $8-bln deal to buy 24 Typhoon fighters from UK

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 17:24

    Macron urges Netanyahu to freeze Israeli settlement building

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 17:08

    Netanyahu accuses Erdogan of helping 'terrorists'

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 17:03

    Macron urges Netanyahu to show 'courage' with Palestinians

  • Aden (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 16:22

    Air raids on Yemen rebel training camp kill 26: security sources

  • Calais (France) (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 14:24

    Ferry runs aground at France's Calais port: official

  • Vatican City (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 13:33

    Pope renews call for 'wisdom and prudence' over Jerusalem: Vatican

  • Istanbul (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 13:13

    Erdogan calls Israel 'terrorist state'

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 12:57

    Major recall of Lactalis baby milk over salmonella fears

  • Jerusalem (AFP) - 12/10/2017 - 11:14

    Israel says demolishes tunnel from Gaza into its territory

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 17:49

    US hails end of IS 'vile occupation' in Iraq

  • Cairo (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 14:24

    Egypt's Coptic Pope rejects Pence meeting over Jerusalem: statement

  • Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 13:03

    Palestinian president will not meet Pence: adviser

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 11:59

    'National homage' to French rocker Johnny Hallyday begins in Paris: AFP

  • Baghdad (AFP) - 12/09/2017 - 11:45

    Iraqi PM declares 'end of war against IS' in Iraq

You are here

News

Tasmanian tiger doomed long before humans came along

AFP/File / TORSTEN BLACKWOOD The Tasmanian tiger was declared extinct in 1936 when the last known one died in captivity at Hobart Zoo. A specimen is seen here stuffed

The Tasmanian tiger was doomed long before humans began hunting the enigmatic marsupial, scientists said Tuesday, with DNA sequencing showing it was in poor genetic health for thousands of years before its extinction.

Scientists genetically mapped the animal -- also known as a thylacine -- using the genome of a pup preserved more than century ago in a jar.

The research revealed the creature began to undergo a decline in genetic diversity more than 70,000 years ago, leaving it less resilient to environmental change even before Aborigines are believed to have first inhabited the continent 65,000 years ago.

"Our hope is that there is a lot the thylacine can tell us about the genetic basis of extinction to help other species," said University of Melbourne biologist Andrew Pask, co-author of a study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.

Pask added the research may eventually enable scientists to clone the Tasmanian tiger and bring it back from the dead.

"As this genome is one of the most complete for an extinct species, it is technically the first step to 'bringing the thylacine back', but we are still a long way off that possibility."

The animal was once widespread across Australia, but was wiped out on the mainland around 3,000 years ago, having likely succumbed to drought.

They survived in the southern island state of Tasmania until 1936 when the last known one died in captivity at Hobart Zoo after the species was hunted to extinction in the wild.

Scientists found the genetics of the animal to be more closely related to fellow Australian marsupial the Tasmanian devil than the dog-like dingo with whom it shared many physical features.

The physical likeness of the two animals is among the best examples of what scientists call "convergent evolution", whereby animals distantly related evolve to look similar as they adapt to the same environment.

In the case of the tiger and dingo, their head and body developed similarly due to their meat-eating hunting techniques, even though the marsupials' ancestry diverged genetically from the dog-like animals known as canids about 160 million years ago.

"And when we looked at the basis for this convergent evolution, we found that it wasn't actually the genes themselves that produced the same skull and body shape, but the control regions around them that turn genes 'on and off' at different stages of growth," Pask added.

"This reveals a whole new understanding of the process of evolution. We can now explore these regions of the genome to help understand how two species converge on the same appearance, and how the process of evolution works."

Home

News

News

Tasmanian tiger doomed long before humans came along

AFP/File / TORSTEN BLACKWOOD The Tasmanian tiger was declared extinct in 1936 when the last known one died in captivity at Hobart Zoo. A specimen is seen here stuffed

The Tasmanian tiger was doomed long before humans began hunting the enigmatic marsupial, scientists said Tuesday, with DNA sequencing showing it was in poor genetic health for thousands of years before its extinction.

Scientists genetically mapped the animal -- also known as a thylacine -- using the genome of a pup preserved more than century ago in a jar.

The research revealed the creature began to undergo a decline in genetic diversity more than 70,000 years ago, leaving it less resilient to environmental change even before Aborigines are believed to have first inhabited the continent 65,000 years ago.

"Our hope is that there is a lot the thylacine can tell us about the genetic basis of extinction to help other species," said University of Melbourne biologist Andrew Pask, co-author of a study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.

Pask added the research may eventually enable scientists to clone the Tasmanian tiger and bring it back from the dead.

"As this genome is one of the most complete for an extinct species, it is technically the first step to 'bringing the thylacine back', but we are still a long way off that possibility."

The animal was once widespread across Australia, but was wiped out on the mainland around 3,000 years ago, having likely succumbed to drought.

They survived in the southern island state of Tasmania until 1936 when the last known one died in captivity at Hobart Zoo after the species was hunted to extinction in the wild.

Scientists found the genetics of the animal to be more closely related to fellow Australian marsupial the Tasmanian devil than the dog-like dingo with whom it shared many physical features.

The physical likeness of the two animals is among the best examples of what scientists call "convergent evolution", whereby animals distantly related evolve to look similar as they adapt to the same environment.

In the case of the tiger and dingo, their head and body developed similarly due to their meat-eating hunting techniques, even though the marsupials' ancestry diverged genetically from the dog-like animals known as canids about 160 million years ago.

"And when we looked at the basis for this convergent evolution, we found that it wasn't actually the genes themselves that produced the same skull and body shape, but the control regions around them that turn genes 'on and off' at different stages of growth," Pask added.

"This reveals a whole new understanding of the process of evolution. We can now explore these regions of the genome to help understand how two species converge on the same appearance, and how the process of evolution works."

AFP/File / TORSTEN BLACKWOOD The Tasmanian tiger was declared extinct in 1936 when the last known one died in captivity at Hobart Zoo. A specimen is seen here stuffed

The Tasmanian tiger was doomed long before humans began hunting the enigmatic marsupial, scientists said Tuesday, with DNA sequencing showing it was in poor genetic health for thousands of years before its extinction.

Scientists genetically mapped the animal -- also known as a thylacine -- using the genome of a pup preserved more than century ago in a jar.

12 Dec 2017

AFP's worldwide network

The global network of Agence France Presse covers 151 countries

Find out more

Contact us

If you have news to share or a question, comment or suggestion, contact us via...

If you have news to share or a question, comment or suggestion, contact us via...
  • MAIL
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

    • Subsidiaries