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Tasmanian tiger skull shows it was different than any living mammal
Researchers found the extinct marsupial had a skull built for fast, high-impact snapping bites that likely targeted small, agile prey, not livestock.
- A new study published August 31, 2026, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found Tasmanian tigers likely hunted small, rabbit-size prey rather than livestock.
- British colonists in Tasmania mistakenly viewed thylacines as wolf-like predators, blaming them for livestock losses that were actually caused by feral dogs and human mismanagement.
- Researchers found thylacine skulls were long and slender, lacking the robustness of a grey wolf's jaw, suggesting a quick, snapping motion ideal for capturing small prey like bandicoots.
- Professor Vera Weisbecker of Flinders University said these findings "counter the myths that drove the thylacine to extinction," while collaborators like Professor Andrew Pask pursue de-extinction efforts.
- Australia has lost more mammal species than any other country worldwide, with 40% of its marsupial species threatened, prompting Weisbecker to pursue research identifying irreplaceable biodiversity at risk.
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Not tiger, not wolf: Australian thylacine skull reveals a far different hunting style
A new study led by Flinders University has flipped the historical narrative about Australia's thylacine, finding the native apex predator known as the "Tasmanian tiger" was significantly different from the wolves and wild dogs it was likened to before being hunted to extinction.
·Douglas, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources27
Leaning Left6Leaning Right1Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 28%
C 67%
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