All articles tagged with #thylacine
A UK antique dealer paid 85,000 pounds for what he thought was a 19th‑century fox head, only to discover it is the bust of the extinct Tasmanian tiger; X-ray and CT scans confirmed a pristine skull, making it a remarkably rare complete thylacine specimen with potential scientific value, as there are only a limited number of known specimens and the owner plans to keep it for educational study.
New skull analysis shows the Tasmanian tiger hunted small prey with a long, slender snout and a very large skull that enabled rapid snapping, not the grappling, wolf-like predation once assumed. The marsupial was more closely related to kangaroos than dogs. The last captive thylacine died in 1936, and while de-extinction efforts are underway in some labs, researchers emphasize Indigenous stewardship and broader conservation lessons.
A mounted head of the extinct Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) sold for £60,000 at Auctioneum in Bristol, having originally been bought for £50 at an antiques market; one of only about 101 known taxidermy thylacines, later purchased by James Cranfield who aims to keep it accessible to the academic and scientific community.
Scientists in Sweden successfully extracted and analyzed RNA from a 130-year-old preserved Tasmanian tiger (thylacine), marking a significant advancement in ancient DNA research by revealing gene activity, tissue-specific signals, and potential viral traces, thus providing deeper insights into extinct species' biology and gene regulation.
Scientists in Sweden successfully recovered and analyzed RNA from a 130-year-old preserved thylacine, providing insights into its gene activity, tissue types, and potential viral history, marking a significant advancement in paleotranscriptomics and extinct species research.
Scientists have successfully extracted RNA from the skin and muscle of a 132-year-old Tasmanian tiger, making it the first extinct animal from which RNA has been recovered. The recovery of RNA from extinct animals like the thylacine could provide valuable insights into gene activity and the biology of extinct species. RNA sequences reveal which genes are actually active and used to make proteins inside cells. This breakthrough could aid in ongoing efforts to resurrect the thylacine and also help detect the presence of different RNA viruses through time, accelerating our understanding of viral evolution.
Scientists have successfully isolated and decoded RNA molecules from a 130-year-old Tasmanian tiger specimen, marking the first time RNA has been recovered from an extinct species. The genetic material has provided insights into the functioning of the thylacine's genes and could aid efforts to resurrect the species. This groundbreaking research expands scientists' understanding of extinct animals and has the potential to enhance the reconstruction of extinct genomes. RNA, which is more fragile than DNA, was previously not thought to endure for any length of time. The study serves as a proof of concept and paves the way for future attempts to recover RNA from even older extinct animals, such as the woolly mammoth.
Scientists have successfully recovered RNA from an extinct species for the first time, specifically from a thylacine specimen that died in 1936. The researchers extracted and analyzed RNA from the desiccated skin and skeletal muscle tissues of the thylacine, providing insights into its biology and metabolism. While the study's focus was not on de-extinction, the findings could benefit scientific advancements in gene editing, in vitro fertilization, and the analysis of extinct and extant viruses. This breakthrough opens the possibility of recovering RNA from other extinct species in the future.