The mitochondrial genome sequence of the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus).

Genome Research
Webb MillerStephan C Schuster

Abstract

We report the first two complete mitochondrial genome sequences of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), or so-called Tasmanian tiger, extinct since 1936. The thylacine's phylogenetic position within australidelphian marsupials has long been debated, and here we provide strong support for the thylacine's basal position in Dasyuromorphia, aided by mitochondrial genome sequence that we generated from the extant numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus). Surprisingly, both of our thylacine sequences differ by 11%-15% from putative thylacine mitochondrial genes in GenBank, with one of our samples originating from a direct offspring of the previously sequenced individual. Our data sample each mitochondrial nucleotide an average of 50 times, thereby providing the first high-fidelity reference sequence for thylacine population genetics. Our two sequences differ in only five nucleotides out of 15,452, hinting at a very low genetic diversity shortly before extinction. Despite the samples' heavy contamination with bacterial and human DNA and their temperate storage history, we estimate that as much as one-third of the total DNA in each sample is from the thylacine. The microbial content of the two thylacine samples was subjected to metagenomic a...Continue Reading

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Citations

Mar 3, 2010·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Charlotte LindqvistOystein Wiig
Jun 12, 2009·Bioinformatics·Suparna MitraDaniel H Huson
Feb 23, 2013·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Anja ZemannJürgen Schmitz
Jul 1, 2011·Biology Letters·Jacqueline M T NguyenSimon Y W Ho
Jul 3, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Nicolas J RawlenceAlan Cooper
Oct 29, 2011·Science·Kristofer M Helgen
Jul 10, 2013·Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics·Jennifer A Marshall Graves, Marilyn B Renfree
Jun 16, 2012·Genetics, Selection, Evolution : GSE·Ermanno RizziDavid Caramelli
Feb 2, 2011·BMC Evolutionary Biology·Martina LariGiorgio Bertorelle
Oct 26, 2012·BMC Genetics·Kyriakos TsangarasAlex D Greenwood
Apr 25, 2012·PloS One·Brandon R MenziesAndrew J Pask
Jul 23, 2011·Reproduction : the Official Journal of the Society for the Study of Fertility·Pasqualino LoiGrazyna Ptak
Mar 19, 2016·Journal of Mammalogy·Bryan S McLeanJoseph A Cook
Jun 19, 2012·Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution·Johanna L A PaijmansMichael Hofreiter
Oct 1, 2010·Nature·Thomas M Brooks, Kristofer M Helgen
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Apr 30, 2010·Nature·Humberto CampinsJulie Ziffer
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Sep 23, 2016·Molecular Ecology Resources·Jarl A Anmarkrud, Jan T Lifjeld

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