Comments on: Garage Sale Thylacine Skin Worth Thousands

By: CrimsonFox79

CrimsonFox79 — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:29:40 +0000

Hmm. My (unprofessional) opinion is that the pelt looks more like the duiker than thylacine. The striping is very even rather than randomly shorter and longer. The duiker’s stripes look (at least judging by that pic) more consistent in length than the thylacines’. Also, (again, just judging by the pics), the duiker looks to have a similar darker red area of fur at the shoulder and base of the stripe pattern, like on the pelt.

By: thylo

thylo — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 06:54:45 +0000

/agreed

and aware of the reported sightings since 1936 or not, people need to be made more aware of the fact that proclamations of extinction are not empirical data in and of themselves, merely arguable assertions made by professionals.

if trade laws governing endangered creatures can be overturned based on arguable assertions, then the possibility for absolute extinctions to occur as a direct result becomes all too real.

By: Spinach Village

Spinach Village — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 03:26:48 +0000

Comparing the Thylacine to a Brontosaurus is either a bit of a spin or Bill is completely unaware of the modern day sightings which seem to allude to breeding populations still being in existence. If breeding populations were confirmed then that of course would make the Thylacine an endangered species and the laws governing the trade of the Tasmanian Tiger pelts would prove to be justified.

If it is a real “Tiger” pelt then some dating tests might make this find even more interesting.

By: Ethologist

Ethologist — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:52:12 +0000

I will agree with sordes. From that picture the hide could just as easily be from a zebra duiker, as it could a thylacine. Personally, I couldn’t restrain myself from getting it tested (by way of DNA) in order to know the true identity of the hide. Though, I would much prefer to see it be donated to a museum.

By: Sordes

Sordes — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:23:44 +0000

Is it really sure that the skin is from a thylacine? The photo is only very small and doesn't show that much, but it could perhaps also be only a hide of a zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra).