Biol Lett January 2018 PMID 29343562

High-quality fossil dates support a synchronous, Late Holocene extinction of devils and thylacines in mainland Australia.

Lauren C White, Frédérik Saltré, Corey J A Bradshaw, Jeremy J Austin

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Mentions

14
Peak: 3 in Dec 2021
across 6 sources since May 2020

Extended reach

245,770
potential audience

Total likes

6,476

Video views

217,451

Mentions per month

May 2020 – Nov 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter4 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Facebook2 posts
  • Reddit2 posts
  • News2 articles
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AI synopsis

What people are saying

Several discussions reflect curiosity about the causes of extinction, with phrases like 'the cause of these extinctions is the subject of debate' and mention of various hypotheses, demonstrating moderate engagement and interest. The tone is informational, emphasizing scientific debates rather than emotional reactions, which influences a moderate impact score.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions acknowledge the study's findings that suggest a synchronous extinction event, showing general agreement with the article's conclusions.

InterestModerate interest

Participants show moderate interest by referencing debates over causes like dingoes, human activity, and climate change, indicating an engagement with the broader implications.

EngagementNeutral engagement

While some users mention hypotheses and scientific debates, there is limited deep analysis or debate within these posts.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussion highlights recognition of the article's significance in understanding extinction patterns, but lacks widespread calls for action or policy change.

Abstract in brief

  • Recent, high-quality fossil dating indicates that the extinction of the Tasmanian devil and thylacine on mainland Australia happened around 3179 to 3227 years BP, supporting the idea that their extinctions were synchronous.
  • Earlier fossil dates suggested these extinctions occurred around 25,500 years BP, but many of those dates have now been rejected as unreliable, challenging the previous assumption of a single, shared cause.
  • The study introduces new radiocarbon ages and utilizes advanced statistical methods to confirm that both species went extinct at roughly the same time during the mid-Holocene, reinforcing the hypothesis of a common extinction event.

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Roadkill Wallaby Reef Foundation
@Karmageddon67 · X

@tilly64 @WagnerKnew @raythemouse FYI “The cause of these extinctions is the subject of debate, with introduced dingoes, human intensification and climate change being the three main competing, but not necessarily mutually exclusive, hypotheses [3].” https://t.co/X4yklWq8oi

Dec 21, 2021 · 1 like · 2 shares · 5,586 followers View post →
Roadkill Wallaby Reef Foundation
@Karmageddon67 · X

@McAffee @JoelMCurzon @AidaGreenbury https://t.co/X4yklWq8oi

May 20, 2021 · 1 like · 5,586 followers View post →
Ray Raymond
@raythemouse · X

RT @Karmageddon67: @tilly64 @WagnerKnew @raythemouse FYI “The cause of these extinctions is the subject of debate, with introduced dingoe…

Dec 22, 2021 · 2 shares · 14,143 followers View post →
Caroline Snow
@Carolin21440680 · X

RT @Karmageddon67: @tilly64 @WagnerKnew @raythemouse FYI “The cause of these extinctions is the subject of debate, with introduced dingoe…

Dec 22, 2021 · 2 shares · 2,993 followers View post →

All mentions

Caroline Snow
@Carolin21440680 · X

RT @Karmageddon67: @tilly64 @WagnerKnew @raythemouse FYI “The cause of these extinctions is the subject of debate, with introduced dingoe…

Dec 22, 2021 · 2 shares · 2,993 followers View post →
Ray Raymond
@raythemouse · X

RT @Karmageddon67: @tilly64 @WagnerKnew @raythemouse FYI “The cause of these extinctions is the subject of debate, with introduced dingoe…

Dec 22, 2021 · 2 shares · 14,143 followers View post →
Roadkill Wallaby Reef Foundation
@Karmageddon67 · X

@tilly64 @WagnerKnew @raythemouse FYI “The cause of these extinctions is the subject of debate, with introduced dingoes, human intensification and climate change being the three main competing, but not necessarily mutually exclusive, hypotheses [3].” https://t.co/X4yklWq8oi

Dec 21, 2021 · 1 like · 2 shares · 5,586 followers View post →
Roadkill Wallaby Reef Foundation
@Karmageddon67 · X

@McAffee @JoelMCurzon @AidaGreenbury https://t.co/X4yklWq8oi

May 20, 2021 · 1 like · 5,586 followers View post →