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kanga
captain kanga-roo
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#1 Posted: Wed Mar 10th, 2010 03:38 pm |
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ADELAIDE, Australia —
Australian scientists said Wednesday that the discovery of a genetically distinct colony of Tasmanian devils may save the species from being wiped out by a contagious cancer that has decimated the population.
So far, the colony in northwestern Tasmania state has proven immune to the face cancer that has ravaged the iconic animal — made famous worldwide by their Looney Tunes cartoon namesake, Taz.
"We think these devils may be able to see the cancer cells as foreign and mount an immune response against them," lead researcher Kathy Belov said. "We think more animals might survive in the wild than we initially thought."
The furry black animals spread a fast-killing cancer when they bite each other's faces. It causes grotesque facial tumors that eventually prevent them from feeding and can affect their internal organs.
Devil Facial Tumor Disease was discovered in 1996. Since then, the numbers of Tasmanian devils have plummeted by 70 percent. Last spring, Australia listed the devils as an endangered species and current estimates suggest the Tasmanian devil could be extinct within 25 years.
But Belov said the new findings buy more time for managing the disease and developing a vaccine.
Belov, of the University of Sydney, worked with fellow researchers at the University of Tasmania, who monitored populations across the island. While earlier studies had looked at devils in eastern Tasmania, this time they took a wider sampling of 400 devils across the state.
Twenty percent of those were found to be genetically different from the eastern devils, and so far have not caught the disease.
"I don't think this means that we can sit back and go, 'Everything is OK,' because we've already seen that the tumor has started to evolve," Belov cautioned. "But now we can say that we've got a glimmer of hope. There may be some animals that may survive this epidemic."
Another Tasmanian devil researcher, Hamish McCallum, said the discovery held "enormous promise."
"It's been my view for a long time that the best shot of solving the problem is if there is any genetic resistance in the devil population," said McCallum, who until last year worked with the federal government's devil rescue program.
"We have suspected for quite some time that there may have been animals with different genes in the northwest. ... What we don't know absolutely for sure is whether or not this genetic difference is sufficient for them not to get disease."
Federal Innovation Minister Kim Carr, whose department helped fund the research, said it was great news.
"There is now hope for their survival," Carr said in a statement.
The devils, known for powerful jaws, fierce screeches and voracious consumption of prey, are the world's largest marsupial carnivores. They don't exist in the wild outside Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland
I found this rather interesting.
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JohnB
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#2 Posted: Wed Mar 10th, 2010 07:02 pm |
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Very interesting indeed, i didn't know they got cancer let alone how. Lets hope these friends of ours keep on living healthy happy lives.
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kanga
captain kanga-roo
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#3 Posted: Thu Mar 11th, 2010 03:35 pm |
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Yes i class animals like the Tasmanian devil the same as the kangaroo and koala and if we give a rats about Australia then we should care they are part of what makes up the unique animal species we have.
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Molly
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#4 Posted: Thu Mar 11th, 2010 06:21 pm |
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| wow i didn't know they were dying out from cancer lets hope this will allow them to keep on living and stay an important part of Australia. Shows how little i know! Sad.
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Sandy_0Z
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#5 Posted: Thu Mar 11th, 2010 06:46 pm |
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Fingers crossed for our fury friends down under, i think it was the Kookaburra they were talking about not along also facing the danger of being wiped out before long.
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dahls
President Wannabe
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#6 Posted: Thu Mar 11th, 2010 08:41 pm |
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I love Tasmanian devils they are so cute, but i dont like the noise they make. This is great news for them and i also didnt know they had this problem how un Australian am i  .
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crazylizzy
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#7 Posted: Fri Mar 12th, 2010 10:41 pm |
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dahls wrote: I love Tasmanian devils they are so cute, but i dont like the noise they make. This is great news for them and i also didnt know they had this problem how un Australian am i .
Yes they do make a horrid sound don't they? but they are cute in their own little way and i hope they don't get wiped out.
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Sabby
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Sabby is a GOOD Girl
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#8 Posted: Sun Mar 21st, 2010 02:11 pm |
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This does sound positive for the Tassie Devils.
I do not like seeing any mammal/ animal get close to distinction. I applaud those that are working towards this never happening.
Tassie Devils serve a valuable purpose on the forest floors and roads. Unfortunately they do get hit while cleaning up road kill. That part is so sad.
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crazylizzy
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#9 Posted: Mon Mar 22nd, 2010 08:18 pm |
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Sabby wrote: This does sound positive for the Tassie Devils.
I do not like seeing any mammal/ animal get close to distinction. I applaud those that are working towards this never happening.
Tassie Devils serve a valuable purpose on the forest floors and roads. Unfortunately they do get hit while cleaning up road kill. That part is so sad.
What makes me angry is how many don't seem to care! they think oh well its just an animal. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr makes me so angry shame we cant sit back at times and say oh well your just a human and leave them in the gutter.
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