How to Pronounce Tasmanian Tiger

Meaning and Context

The Tasmanian Tiger, scientifically known as Thylacinus cynocephalus, was a distinctive carnivorous marsupial and the largest apex predator in a recent ecological epoch across Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. Characterized by its sandy yellow-brown coat marked with prominent dark stripes across its lower back and tail—earning its tiger moniker—and an unusually large gape for a marsupial, this enigmatic creature filled a niche similar to that of placental wolves. Despite its official extinction status, with the last confirmed captive animal dying at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart in 1936, the Thylacine remains a potent symbol of extinction causes linked to human activity, including bounty hunting, habitat encroachment, and suspected disease. Persistent sightings and alleged evidence fuel ongoing debate about extinction, making it a central figure in cryptozoology and a poignant icon for wildlife conservation efforts and de-extinction projects aiming to utilize ancient DNA recovered from preserved specimens.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The primary and scientifically accepted term is "Thylacine," derived from its genus name Thylacinus. The common name "Tasmanian Tiger" is universally recognized, though "Tasmanian Wolf" is a less frequent but historically used variant. Common misspellings and typographical errors often arise from phonetic interpretations or autocorrect. These include "Tasmanian Tigre," "Tasmania Tiger," (omitting the 'n'), "Tasmanion Tiger," and "Thylacene." For the scientific name, "Thylacinus" is sometimes misspelled as "Thylacineus" or "Thylacinus." It is also worth noting that in casual writing, the terms are sometimes incorrectly hyphenated as "Tasmanian-Tiger" or run together as "Thylacin."

Example Sentences

Despite numerous reported sightings in remote wilderness areas, no conclusive evidence has emerged to prove the Tasmanian tiger survived past the mid-20th century.

The thylacine's unique reproductive biology, as a marsupial that carried its young in a rear-facing pouch, distinguished it from all other large predators.

Museum specimens and grainy historical footage provide the only direct visual references for scientists studying the animal's anatomy and gait.

Conservation biologists often cite the tragic extinction of the Tasmanian tiger as a cautionary tale about the irreversible consequences of uncontrolled bounty hunting and habitat destruction.

Recent advances in genetic engineering have sparked serious, though controversial, discussions about the possibility of resurrecting the Thylacine through de-extinction technologies.

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