New Thylacine Book

[Tim May]

The following recent publication has just been brought to my attention:

Thylacine: The History, Ecology and Loss of the Tasmanian Tiger (Edited by Branden Holmes & Gareth Linnard: 2023)

"The authors are generously allocating all their royalties from the sale of this book to support research into Devil Facial Tumour Disease, a devastating and contagious disease now threatening the wild population of Tasmanian devil – the world's current largest marsupial carnivore."

 

[Tim May]

Here's a link to an interesting Linnean Society talk about thylacines.

 

[oflory]

I saw this the other day, fascinated by the contention that the extinction date can be arguably brought forward to the late 90s.

 

[Pertinax]

I saw this the other day, fascinated by the contention that the extinction date can be arguably brought forward to the late 90s.

I'd say it is still very contentious. There is no concrete proof of continued existence after 7th Sepetember 1936 (death of last captive) and all later evidence is circumstantial. That isn't to say it didn't survive after 1936 of course, but for how long?

 

[oflory]

I'd say it is still very contentious. There is no concrete proof of continued existence after 7th Sepetember 1936 (death of last captive) and all later evidence is circumstantial. That isn't to say it didn't survive after 1936 of course, but for how long?

Agreed- it seemed very late to me (and I'm not convinced by the methodology used to generate the date), but still interesting!

 

[Don Majeski]

I'd say it is still very contentious. There is no concrete proof of continued existence after 7th Sepetember 1936 (death of last captive) and all later evidence is circumstantial. That isn't to say it didn't survive after 1936 of course, but for how long?

I agree that Thylacine “sightings” are going the way of those of Sasquatch, Loch Ness monster and Yeti observations.
In the case of a charismatic animal that existed within living memory (1936) having gone extinct it is very difficult for one to emotionally and psychologically let it go.
I have been cognizant of the allegations of theThylacine’s continued existence since the 1960’s and , despite believing in the possibility, there has been no proof positive in all that time.
No ‘habeus corpas’
In science , no proof equals , no existence
It will take another generation for the ‘second hand’ observers - those who have spoken to a living witness to a living Thylacine- to pass and much of the believers to go as well

 

[Pertinax]

It will take another generation for the ‘second hand’ observers - those who have spoken to a living witness to a living Thylacine- to pass and much of the believers to go as well

If I understand that right then pleased to say that I come into that category...