Tigers lost to drought

DROUGHT was to blame for the extinction of Tasmanian tigers from the Australian mainland, a new study by the University of Adelaide has found.

Using DNA from fossil bones and museum specimens, the report said drought caused by the onset of El Nino weather patterns was the likely cause of the tiger’s demise.

“The ancient DNA tells us that the mainland extinction was rapid, and not the result of intrinsic factors, such as inbreeding or loss of genetic diversity,” associate professor Jeremy Austin said.