Cambridge scientists critique research that concluded the disease is no longer a threat to the species’ survival
Cambridge researchers have challenged a previous study finding that a facial cancer that devastated the Tasmanian devil population was on the decline.
Elizabeth Murchison, a professor of comparative oncology and genetics at the University of Cambridge and one of the critique’s senior authors, saidShe said it was recommended that scientists sequence DNA at least 30 times when analysing tumours to have confidence that a variant is actually a mutation. Her reanalysis found the researchers in the original study sequenced DNA an average of 15 times.
The authors of the initial study disagreed, and said they stood by their research. They said they had published papers in the years since that “support the basic conclusion that continued survival of Tasmanian devils in the wild is likely and that there has been rapid evolution of devils in response to the disease”.
The Cambridge researchers said they reproduced the initial study after noticing that the tree mapping out how the tumour evolved over time generated by the original researchers “looked nothing” like their own tree.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mind-blowing’ Tasmanian Devil tooth uncovered in WA’s Juukan GorgeLocal Aboriginal landowners had requested archaeological excavation of the area after it was destroyed by Rio Tinto blasting in May 2020.
Read more »
Tasmanian Devil tooth among ‘mind-blowing’ finds in destroyed Juukan Gorge caveThe first physical evidence that Tasmanian Devils once lived in the Pilbara is among the ‘mind-blowing’ finds made by in what is left of a rock shelter blasted by Rio Tinto in 2020.
Read more »
Tasmanian Devil tooth among ‘mind-blowing’ finds in destroyed Juukan Gorge caveThe first physical evidence that Tasmanian Devils once lived in the Pilbara is among the ‘mind-blowing’ finds made by in what is left of a rock shelter blasted by Rio Tinto in 2020.
Read more »
Tasmanian Devil tooth and other rare artefacts found during re-excavation of Pilbara's Juukan GorgeThe tooth could provide further historical evidence of inter-community trading in Western Australia and was unearthed in Juukan Gorge, which made headlines in 2020 when its rock shelters were damaged by Rio Tinto blasts.
Read more »
Tasmanian Devil tooth among ‘mind-blowing’ finds in destroyed Juukan Gorge caveThe first physical evidence that Tasmanian Devils once lived in the Pilbara is among the ‘mind-blowing’ finds made by in what is left of a rock shelter blasted by Rio Tinto in 2020.
Read more »
Tasmanian Devil tooth among significant finds at Juukan cave siteArtefacts and braided hair are among 'mind blowing' finds from excavations of 46,000-year-old rock shelters in Western Australia, notoriously destroyed by Rio Tinto.
Read more »