On this day in 1986, The Canberra Times shared a story from Perth where a skull of a thylacine or Tasmanian tiger had been found on the Nullarbor.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Two thylacine skulls dating back 4000 years had been found on the Nullarbor. They were discovered just before Christmas about 100km east of Eucla by caver Lindsay Hatcher, a teacher from Innaloo. Western Australian Museum authorities confirmed the identification and gave the skulls' approximate age.
The thylacine, sometimes call the Tasmanian tiger or wolf, was the dominant predator in Australia until approximately 10,000 years ago, when it began to be displaced by the dingo.
It is believed it became extinct on the mainland about 3000 years ago.
Mr Hatcher found the two skulls while working with an ABC documentary team on the Aboriginal flint deposits and cave scrapings at Koonalda, South Australia.
He said it was generally believed the thylacine found on the Nullarbor was smaller than that found in Tasmania, where some experts speculate it might still survive.
One of the animals found at Koonalda fell within the size limits of the Nullarbor animal, but the larger one could be a new species.
