Ancient mitochondrial genomes reveal the demographic history and phylogeography of the extinct, enigmatic thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus)
- White, L.
- Mitchell, K.
- Austin, J.
DOIAbstract
Aim: The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, is an infamous example of a recent human-mediated extinction. Confined to the island of Tasmania in historical times, thylacines were hunted to extinction <150 years after European arrival. Thylacines were also once widespread across the Australian mainland, but became extinct there c. 3,200 years before present (BP). Very little is known about thylacine biology and population history; the cause of the thylacines extirpation from the mainland is still debated and the reasons for its survival in Tasmania into the 20th century are unclear. In this study, we investigate the thylacine’s phylogeography and demographic history leading up to their extinction on both the mainland and Tasmania to gain insight ...
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