Yorkshire relics help solve tiger mystery

THE RIDDLE of what exactly happened to the enigmatic Tasmanian tiger may have finally been solved thanks to three specimens from the Leeds Museums and Galleries collection.

Generations of scientists have pondered over the extinction of the wolf-like marsupials, which vanished from the Australian mainland 3,000 years ago. Researchers from Australia have been analysing DNA from the animals, which scientists call thylacines, taken from around the world. Among those tested by the team at the University of Adelaide were the three from Leeds, usually kept at Leeds Discovery Centre.

Along with 48 other specimens, they helped the experts determine that their extinction was most likely due to extreme weather and drought rather than wild dogs or hunting by Aborigines, as previously thought.

Clare Brown, Leeds Museums and Galleries curator of natural sciences, said: “It’s very exciting that specimens from our collection in Leeds have contributed to international research which has helped solve such a longstanding and captivating mystery.

“By learning more about what happened to animals which have become extinct, we can understand a great deal about how the world around us has changed over time and also how we can better protect important and endangered species today.”

Tasmanian tigers survived on the island of Tasmania until the 1930s, but hundreds of unofficial sightings have been made since.