Thylacine DNA reveals weakness – and kinship with the kangaroo

Researchers sequence the Tasmanian tiger's genome, showing it to be a closer relative of the kangaroo than the dingo

The first full genetic blueprint of the long-extinct thylacine has revealed the animal suffered from genetic weakness well before it was isolated on Tasmania 10,000 to 13,000 years ago.

An international team of researchers led by associate professor Andrew Pask from the University of Melbourne used DNA from the 106-year-old preserved remains of a juvenile thylacine or Tasmanian tiger to sequence the animal's genome, making it one of the most complete genetic blueprints for an extinct species.