A retrospective assessment of 20th century thylacine populations

Abstract

The thylacine (Thyladnus cynocephalus) once ranged widely across Tasmania from the east to west coasts. The authors present the first comprehensive study to delineate the extent of the thylacine's post-1900 range, based on the retrospective analysis of 1167 geo-referenced capture, kill, and confirmed sighting reports, from 1900 to 1940. They examine the probable causes of population collapse, and discuss the possibility that the species survived into the 1940s and beyond.