Diagnosing a synchronous extinction

Until the mid-20th century, the thylacine was the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial, and its disappearance has left many questions and contradictions.

Alternately portrayed as a scourge and as a high value commodity, the thylacine’s ecology and behaviour were known only anecdotally. In recent years, its taxonomic position, ecology, behaviour and body size have all been re-examined scientifically, while advances in genetics have presented the potential for de-extinction.

With 78 contributors, Thylacine: The History, Ecology and Loss of the Tasmanian Tiger presents an evidence-based profile of the thylacine, examining its ecology, evolution, encounters with humans, persecution, assumed extinction and its appearance in fiction. The final chapters explore the future for this iconic species – a symbol of extinction but also hope.