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They were reported to have preyed on sheep and poultry after European colonisation, although the extent of this was almost certainly exaggerated. For example, this was perpetuated, intentionally or otherwise, by a series of famous photos taken by Harry Burrell. Get our monthly emails for amazing animals, research insights and museum events.
At one time the Thylacine was widespread over continental Australia, extending north to New Guinea and south to Tasmania.
In recent times it was confined to Tasmania where its presence has not been established conclusively for more than seventy years. In Tasmania the species was best known from the north and east coast and midland plains region rather than from the mountains of the south-west. Although the precise reasons for extinction of the Thylacine from mainland Australia are not known it appears to have declined as a result of competition with the Dingo and perhaps hunting pressure from humans.
The Thylacine became extinct on the Australian mainland not less than years ago. Its decline and extinction in Tasmania was probably hastened by the introduction of dogs, but appears mainly due to direct human persecution as an alleged pest.
Aboriginal rock-paintings of Thylacine-like animals are recognised from northern Australia including the Kimberley region of Western Australia. There is evidence to suggest that Aboriginal people in Tasmania used the Thylacine as a food item.
Work at the Riversleigh World Heritage fossil site in north-west Queensland has unearthed a spectacular array of thylacines dating from about 30 million years ago to almost 12 million years ago. At least seven different species are present, ranging from small specialised cat-sized individuals to fox-sized predators. The most spectacular find has been an almost complete skeleton of a thylacine from the AL90 site at Riversleigh.
First glimpsed in when a limestone boulder was cracked to reveal part of the skull after 17 million years in a limestone tomb. After many months of intricate preparation the skeleton has been reassembled.
We need to identify the factors involved in historical declines and extinctions to help guard against future biodiversity loss. A small population of thylacines persisted on Tasmania when Europeans arrived in Australia. The species was rapidly viewed as a pest and a dangerous threat to livestock, though many of these claims were highly exaggerated. Over 2, bounties were paid by the government between to to eradicate the species.
A sudden decline in the thylacine population was reported in the early s, and the species was declared extinct in The government bounty may seem to be the obvious extinction culprit.
But growing scientific evidence reveals a complex tapestry of forces involved in their decline. Among these are competition with dogs, habitat loss and changing fire regimes leading to population fragmentation, and an epidemic disease that spread through the population in the s.
A mounting body of evidence reveal that larger bodied species are at greater risk of extinction than smaller bodied species. As a large-bodied predator, relying on small prey would have been energetically constraining for thylacines: their food may have been inadequate to support them unless small prey were abundant.
Whether thyacines were capable of taking down large prey species like kangaroos, emus or adult sheep remains a contentious subject. Based on their teeth and jaw, it is almost certain that they were meat specialists. Anecdotal evidence suggests thylacines may have taken large prey up to 30kg, such as kangaroos and emus.
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