The remains of the last known Tasmanian tiger were found in a museum cabinet.
December 8, 2022
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This mystery was solved by Robert Puddle and Catherine Medlock, who are preparing to publish their research in the Australian Zoologist. They discovered that the remains entered the
This mystery was solved by Robert Puddle and Catherine Medlock, who are preparing to publish their research in the Australian Zoologist. They discovered that the remains entered the collections of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) in 1936, but remained unidentified until then.
what is known
According to the researchers, the thylacine found is not the same as the animal previously identified as Benjamin, the last Tasmanian tiger who died at the Beaumaris Zoo on the night of September 6-7, 1936. Its numerous photos and videos are one of the few pieces of evidence left to humanity in memory of this species.
According to new data, the last thylacine was actually an old woman and was captured by hunter Elias Churchill from the Florence Valley in mid-May 1936 and sold to the zoo.
The sale was not registered or announced by the zoo at the time, as land trapping was illegal and Churchill could be fined. Tilacin lived only a few months, and when he died, his body was donated to TMAG. – says Robert Puddle.
Because no material of 1936 thylacine has been recorded in the zoology collection, many museum curators and researchers searched for these remains for years, so it was assumed that his body was simply thrown away.
Catherine Medlock notes that the animal’s arrival at the museum was confirmed by an unpublished report from 1936/37 by the museum’s taxidermist, which mentions a thylacine among specimens studied throughout the year. This led to a review of all the thylacine skins and skeletons in the collection, and eventually to the discovery of the final animal.
It turned out that the skin was removed from the remains, the skeleton was dismembered, and for many years, tilacins were used for educational purposes to explain the anatomy to students. After that, at some point, they were simply placed in a closet and forgotten for decades.
Talacina skull / Tasmania Museum
Talacina skull / Tasmania Museum
TMAG director Mary Mulcahy said the skin and dismembered skeleton of the last Tasmanian tiger is now on display in the museum’s thylacine gallery.
I’m Maurice Knox, a professional news writer with a focus on science. I work for Div Bracket. My articles cover everything from the latest scientific breakthroughs to advances in technology and medicine. I have a passion for understanding the world around us and helping people stay informed about important developments in science and beyond.