Genetic secrets from Tassie tiger (new talk on bringing extinct thylacine back to life)

BBC News ^ | Jonathan Amos

[presidio9]

Scientists have detailed a significant proportion of the genes found in the extinct Tasmanian "tiger".

The international team extracted the hereditary information from the hair of preserved animal remains held in Swedish and US museums.

The information has allowed scientists to confirm the tiger's evolutionary relationship to other marsupials.

The study, reported in the journal Genome Research, may also give pointers as to why some animals die out.

The two tigers examined had near-identical DNA, suggesting there was very little genetic diversity in the species when it went over the edge. I want to learn as much as I can about why large mammals become extinct because all my friends are large mammals

Professor Webb Miller

Although it was hunting that finally drove the Australian animal out of existence, its longevity as a species may already have been fatally compromised, the researchers believe.

The lessons should not be lost on modern conservation efforts, the team says.

"Looking at the genetic diversity in a population is a key marker for endangerment and it should be used to assess the urgency of preservation," Professor Stephan Schuster from Penn State University told BBC News.

Recurring theme

The Tassie tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus) was dog-like in appearance and striped like a big cat - but in evolutionary terms, it had little in common with either, and was more closely related to kangaroos and koalas.

Wild thylacines were present until the early 1900s; the last known captive specimen died in Hobart Zoo in 1936.

Its recent demise, and the existence of several well-preserved specimens in museums, has led many to speculate that the animal might be the best extinct candidate for attempted resurrection through new molecular science techniques such as cloning.

[pcottraux]

That would be dragonblustar.

[FreeManWhoCan]

Thanks for the story presidio9! Hey guys! Crypto ping!

[presidio9]

This thread has footage of the last captive thylacine in the Hobart Zoo. However, the airheaded author of the article blames the extinction on white people, saying the hunter-gatherer aborigines never had a problem with them. This is typical wishful thinking BS, as the aborigines brought their dogs with them when they came to Australia 40,000 years ago. Some of those dogs went ferrel and became dingos. The dingo took the place of a wolf in Australia, formerly occupied by the thylacine. When white men started to settle Australia in the 1780's, after tens of thousands of years of dingos, all the shite men did was become the final staw. That's why the thylacine, which had existed for millions of years had so little genetic diversity at the end.

[presidio9]

Convergent Intelligent Design.

Thanks for my new favorite term. Another example of CID would be John Kerry and the Sleestacks.

[sionnsar]

Another example of CID would be John Kerry and the Sleestacks.

Intelligent design????

Oh. I see. Something like Ogden Nash:

God in his wisdom made the fly
and then forgot to tell us why

[presidio9]

Exactly. The malaria virus is also a product of Intelligent Design.

[dragonblustar]

If you would like to On or Off the Crypto ping list, please let me know.

Thanks, Dragonblustar

[SERKIT]

Let’s clone Ronaldus Magnus and reinvent the Republican Party. Lord knows we need it in Illinois.

[dragonblustar]

That is one creepy looking critter.

[presidio9]

Let’s clone Ronaldus Magnus and reinvent the Republican Party.

Genetics don't make the man. The only one of his children worth a damn is adopted.

[SERKIT]

Treu. I was going along the lines of a non-evil version of “Boys from Brazil”.

[sionnsar]

Amen.

[presidio9]

I was watching a program about horses recently, and a successful breeder was arguing that cloning Secretariat right now probably wouldn’t be worth the cost, because a lot more went into making a great racehorse than just the genes. Personally, I have no idea how he could know this. And if they do decide to clone secretariat, tell me where to go to place my bet on him. But that’s what he said.

[Erasmus]

And they'd better build the cages ten times stronger than they think they'll need.

≤}B^)

[Zionist Conspirator]

Thanks for the ping!

[NellieMae]

Maybe it's a relative to the chupacabra.

[JoeProBono]

Thylacine: footage of the last Tasmanian Tiger / Wolf 1933

[djf]

It would not be surprising if some survived.

The ares that were considered it’s original habitat are some of the most remote, inaccessible, god-awful places on Earth.

Mangrove swamps, jungles where the sunlight simply never even hits the ground, that sort of stuff.

[djf]

This one is pretty convincing, but it needs to be slowed down and photo enhanced.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy0wfGoHD88&feature=related

[TribalPrincess2U]

I was thinking the same thing. Sure resembles it.