A catalogue of fossil sites containing the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus)

The putative extinction of the thylacine (or Tasmanian tiger) means that no further historical specimens are likely to be available to science, with the obvious exception of the potential for newly discovered specimens¹. Unless the species is rediscovered, or cloning is both a) successful and b) produces animals that are not taxonomically distinct from the Tasmanian type population. Both of which are extremely unlikely. On the other hand fossil and subfossil material is both abundant and still waiting to be collected. Moreover, favourable preservation conditions mean that further soft tissue specimens potentially await discovery. At present at least three such specimens have been discovered. The first being a small patch of dried skin attached to the humerus and clavicle of a mostly complete skeleton found in Murra-El-Elevyn Cave in December 1963 or January 1964 by Mr N. Campbell (Partridge, 1967). The second being a complete mummified animal ("Old Hairy") found on 23 October 1966 by Jacky and David Lowry in what would later be known as Thylacine Hole (Lowry & Lowry, 1967). Lastly, a mummified head was found in Murra-El-Elevyn Cave in 1990, the site of the first discovery of dried thylacine tissue.

Collection bias is certainly evident in the known fossil sites that contain thylacine remains, even though all mainland Australian states and territories are represented. Most fossil sites are from the southern half of the continent. This may or may not impact the species' inferred extinction chronology, as there is the potential for northern Australia to have acted as a refugium for the species. Where it may have survived far longer than in areas which have radiocarbon dates associated with them. Future infrastructure may make it logistically and economically more viable to carry out palaeontological excavations in relatively harsh and isolated environs that have so far contributed little to our understanding of the species' prehistoric trends.

While the northern Australian thylacine population is relatively little known, the situation in New Guinea is even less understood. A handful of reports of Thylacinus remains have been made in the literature since the first in 1963 (van Deusen, 1963). Most of these are in obscure, hard to find or otherwise virtually inaccessible publications. As a result the current cataloguing effort is virtually reduced to merely listing references to New Guinea thylacines, as I have never attended university and thus do not have access to many of the research avenues open to scientists.

¹ The most recent such find is a remarkably well preserved skin exported to New Zealand and lain unrecognized for decades. It has now been purchased by the National Museum of Australia (press release).

Important caveat

The radiocarbon dates given are those reported at the time in the literature cited. Many of these older dates (<2000) are unreliable and are therefore only given for historical reasons. This includes those dates repeated through citation by later authors past the date at which radiocarbon dates became reliable (fixation of the carbon curve).

Australian Captial Territory

New Guinea

Kiowa Rockshelter

References: van Deusen, 1963; Bulmer, 1964

Nombe Rockshelter

References: Mountain, 1990, 1991, (1993?)

New South Wales

Lake Menindee

References: Woodburne, 1967

Wee Jasper 99 (WJ99)

References: Cathles et al., 2008; Theden-Ringl, 2018; Theden-Ringl et al., 2018

Wellington Caves

Specimens: BMNH Geol. M/10800, BMNH Geol. M/10801 (type specimens of T. spelaeus)

References: Ride, 1964

Wombah

References: Mulvaney, 1975 (cited by Howlett, 2012)

Yarrangobilly or Cooleman

References: Spate, 2006 (cited in Spate & Baker, 2018)

Northern Territory

Queensland

Ellangowan

Specimens: QM F.730 (type specimen of T. rostralis)

References: Ride, 1964

Gowrie Creek

Specimens: BMNH 35973 (previously attributed to T. rostralis?)

References: Ride, 1964

King's Creek, Clifton

Specimens: QM F.3742 (previously attributed to T. rostralis?)

References: Ride, 1964

South Australia

Black’s Point Sinkhole, Venus Bay

Age: 3254–2925 cal. BP (McDowell, 1997)

References: Medlin, 1996; McDowell, 1997

Devon Downs Shelter

References: Smith, 1982

Fromm's Landing

References: Macintosh, 1964; Macintosh & Mahoney, 1964; Mulvaney et al., 1964; Wakefield, 1964; Archer, 1971

Kangaroo Island

135.4 ± 5.9 kya (Boar Beach locality), fossilized footprints [Camens et al., 2017]
≥ 28.2±2.7 kya (Rocky River homestead locality), osteological specimen [Wells et al., 2006]
14.25-13.8 kya (Kelly Hill Cave K1-P2 L7E locality), osteological specimen [Adams et al., 2016]

Tasmania

Central Highlands

Warragarra rockshelter

References: McWilliams et al. (1999)

Cave system near Lune River:

Anonymous. (1985). Tasmanian Tiger bones 'fully protected'. The Canberra Times, Friday, 14 June, p. 6.

Bass Strait islands

Cave Bay Cave (Hunter Island)

Specimens: a single thylacine molar tooth

Age: dated to roughly 15,400 BP (Bowdler, 1984)

Notes: As far as I am aware, this single tooth is the only record, prehistoric or modern, of the thylacine on the Bass Strait islands

References: Bowdler, 1984

Victoria

Cloggs Cave

References: Delannoy et al. (2020)

McEachern's Cave

References: Wakefield, 1967

Western Australia

Avon Region

Eucla Division

Capstan Cave (N50)

Specimens: WAM 67.11.37

References: Lowry, 1972

Horseshoe Cave

Specimens: WAM 72.1.512; WAM 72.1.307 (Archer, 1974)

References: Archer, 1974 (+ 1972?)

Murra-El-Elevyn Cave (N47)¹

Specimens: WAM 64.8.1 (soft tissue present around humerus and clavicle), mummified head discovered in 1990 [citation?]

Age: WAM 64.8.1 (3,280 ± 90 yBP (Partridge, 1967))

Notes: ¹ Formerly known as Cocklebiddy Three Mile Cave

References: Gasking, 1965; Partridge, 1967

Roaches Rest Cave (N58)

Specimens: WAM 67.3.21 (Juvenile)

Age: no dating seems to have occurred.

References: Lowry, 1972

Thylacine Hole (N63)

Specimens: WAM F6353 (nearly complete skeleton), F6354 (nearly complete skeleton), F6355 (nearly complete skeleton), F6356 (partial skeleton, lacks teeth), F6357 (old animal; nearly complete skeleton), F6358 (juvenile; nearly complete skeleton), F6360¹ (pelvis and part of vertebral column only), F6364 (mummified carcass) (see Lowry, 1972).

Age: WAM F6364 (4,650 ± 104 yBP, 4,550 ± 112, 4,650 ± 153 yBP; all (Lowry & Merrilees, 1969))

A mummified dingo found roughly 200 feet closer to the entrace was dated at 2,200 ± 96 yBP (Lowry & Merrilees, 1969). A rabbit carcass was subsequently dated at 180 ± 76 yBP as a "check" on the two previously mentioned dated specimens (Merrilees, 1970).

Vegetation: see (Ingram, 1969)

Comments: All individuals appear to have fallen about 12 metres to the cave floor, although only one individual (F6355) has broken bones, possibly postmortem injuries.

Notes: ¹ Disturbed by water wash (Lowry, 1972), which might explain paucity of remains.

References: Dunkley & Wigley, 1967; Lowry & Lowry, 1967; Lowry & Merrilees, 1969; Merrilees, 1970; Lowry, 1972

Webbs Cave (N132)

Specimens: WAM 70.7.52 (Cook, 1963)

Comments: Found in a Tasmanian devil coprolite

References: Cook, 1963,1966; Lowry, 1972

Unknown caves

References: Milner et al., 2017

Gascoyne Region

Mandu Mandu Creek Rockshelter

Comments: "The jaws of a thylacine...at the base of Square C1"

References: Morse, 1993a; Baynes & Jones, 1993

Monajee Cave (CR21/C-21) [ex. WAM Cave 6]

Specimens: "several vertebrae and a single calcanum" (Kendrick & Porter, 1973)

References: Kendrick & Porter, 1973

Pilgonaman Creek Rockshelter

References: Morse, 1993b

Kimberley Division

Tunnel Creek Cave

Specimens: Archer, 1974: WA 71.12.119 (proximal end, humerus)

Age: 0±80 ¹⁴C BP, 4074±80 ¹⁴C BP, 4100±67 ¹⁴C BP

References: Archer, 1974; Gale, 2009

Windjana Gorge Water Tank Shelter

Specimens: partial molar from Spit 16

References: O'Connor et al., 2008: 

Northern Agricultural Region

Geographical extent

"The NAR runs from Gingin in the south to Kalbarri in the north, east to Mullewa, Perenjori and Kalannie along the Local Government Area (LGA) boundaries." (source)

Fossil sites

Caladenia Cave

"Three specimens of Thylacinus cynocephalus were recovered from the excavation, each at different depths. The chronologically youngest specimen, a right metatarsal III of Thylacinus cynocephalus (WA Museum vertebrate palaeontological collection catalogue number 13.11.364) has an associated charcoal age of 3254–2925 cal. BP. All Thylacinus specimens were originally identifed by Merrilees and confirmed by Thorn with Museum comparative material." (Thorn et al., 2017)

Mystery Cave (J-6)

"Thylacine bones {(Thylacinus cynocephalus; 2 individual) jaw found; P. Adamson, August 1986 [L. Hatcher, 1986] & remaining skeleton plus second incomplete skeleton; M. Simpson & L. Hatcher, October 1986 [L. Hatcher, conf.; A. Baynes]} have been recorded from this cave (Hatcher, Unpublished records)." (Susac, 2007:26)

Pretty Cave (SH-9)

Wedges Cave (SH-14)

Molar (Bridge, 1963a)

Yellabidde Cave (E-30)

(Monks, 2016; Monks et al., 2016; Monks, 2018)

"Four Thylacinus specimens were identified, including one adult molar and molars from two young  juveniles (one of which was probably pouch young), all in sediments dating to >5,000 years BP. The presence of the remains of juvenile as well as adult thylacinesin the site suggests that Yellabidde Cave was occasionally used as a den site." (p. 154)

"Thylacine cranial and dental material was recovered from YC...and included edentulous dentary fragments and isolated molars, including one apparently unerupted molar (M¹) cap from a juvenile animal, possibly pouch young." (p. 280)

(both quotes: Monks, 2018)

Unknown cave (near Stockyard Cave (E-3))

Bones found by Harry Butler (Bridge, 1963b).

Need to find relevant caves

Specimens: WAM 61.2.19-23; WAM 63.7.7 (both mentioned by Lowry, 1972)

Perth Region

Murray Cave¹ (Yn52)

Specimens: WA 72.1.1148

Age: 3090±90 ¹⁴C BP

References: Archer, 1974; Murray, 1998

¹ Formerly Murray's Cave (Murray, 1998). See (Archer, 1974) for emandation.

Unknown cave (now destroyed) (near Lake Neerabup)

"And in this, at the base of this solution pipe we found a Thylacine skull laying on the surface outside. So it obviously had been in that cave before they destroyed the cave." (Murray, 1998)

Pilbara Region

Barrow Island

https://www.news.uwa.edu.au/2019091711614/archaeology/sharing-archaeological-insights-barrow-inslands-workforce

Montebello Islands

Morgan's Cave (Campbell Island)

References: Piper & Veth, 2021

South West Corner

I take this to encompass Mandurah in the north, southeast to Albany. An idiosyncratic but useful delineation.

Devil's Lair

Seven teeth from 5 individuals (Balme et al., 1978)

Jewel Cave

At least one skeleton, plus footprints (source)

Madura Cave

References: Milham & Thompson, 1976

Mammoth Cave

Specimens: WAM 61.2.26, 61.2.27, 61.2.28 (all Lowry, 1972)

References: Lundelius, 1960; Merrilees, 1968; Lowry, 1972

Skull Cave

Age: c.17,500yBP (Porter, 1979)

References: Howlett, 1960, 2012; Porter, 1979

Yallingup Cave

References: Merrilees, 1979a

References

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Archer, Michael "Mike". (1972). Nullarbor 1969. Western Caver 12: 17-24.

Archer, Michael "Mike". (1974). New information about the Quaternary distribution of the Thylacine (Marsupialia: Thylacinidae) in Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 57(2): 43-50.

Balme, J. M., Merrilees, D. and Porter, J. K. (1978). Late Quaternary mammal remains, spanning about 30 000 years, from excavations in Devil’s Lair, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 61: 33-65.

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Baynes, Alexander and Jones, Barbara. (1993). The mammals of Cape Range peninsula, Western Australia, pp. 207-226. In: Humphreys, W. F. (ed.). The Biogeography of Cape Range, Western Australia. Perth: Western Australian Museum.

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Bridge, Peter. (1963b). Trip report. The Western Caver 3(2): 23, 26.

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Bulmer, Susan E. (1964). Radio Carbon dates from New Guinea. Journal of the Polynesian Society 73(3): 327-328.

Camens, Aaron B., Carey, Stephen P. and Arnold, Lee J. (2017). Vertebrate trace fossils from the Late Pleistocene of Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Ichnos: A Journal for Plant and Animal Traces. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10420940.2017.1337633 [Abstract]

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Cook, D. L. (1963). Thylacinus and Sarcophilus from the Nullabor Plain. Western Australian Naturalist 9(2): 47-48.

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Delannoy, Jean-Jacques et al. (2020). Geomorphological context and formation history of Cloggs Cave: What was the cave like when people inhabited it? Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 33: 102461.

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Gill, Edmund Dwen. (1953). Distribution of the Tasmanian Devil, the Tasmanian Wolf, and the Dingo in Southeast Australia in Quaternary time. Victorian Naturalist 70: 86-90. [538 ± 200 BP for a site in Victorian, later correct to roughly 5,000 BP by (Gill, 1971)]

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Howlett, Roger M. (1960). A further discovery of Thylacinus at Augusta, Western Australia. Western Australian Naturalist 7(5): 136.

Howlett, Roger M. (2012). Discovery and Exploration of Thylacine Cave, Nullarbor WA.  Caves Australia 189: 17-19.

Ingram, B. S. (1969). Sporomorphs From The Dessicated Carcases of Mammals From Thylacine Hole, Western Australia. Helictite 7(3): 62-66.

Kendrick, George W. and Porter, Jennifer K. (1973). Remains of a Thylacine (Marsupialia: Dasyuroidea) and other fauna from caves in the Cape Range, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 56(4): 116-122.

Lowry, David C. and Lowry, Jacoba W. J. (1967). Discovery of a Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) carcase in a cave near Eucla, Western Australia. Helictite 5(2): 25-29.

Lowry, Jacoba W. J. (1972). The taxonomic status of small fossil Thylacines (Marsupialia; Thylacinidae), from Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 55(1): 19-29.

Lowry, Jacoba W. J. and Merrilees, D. (1969). Age of the desiccated carcase of a Thylacine (Marsupialia, Dasyuroidea) from Thylacine Hole, Nullabor region, Western Australia. Helictite 7(1): 15-16.

Luckett, W. Patrick, Hong Luckett, Nancy and Harper, Tony. (2019). Microscopic analysis of the developing dentition in the pouch young of the extinct marsupial Thylacinus cynocephalus, with an assessment of other developmental stages and eruption. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 78: 1-21.

Lundelius, E. L. (1960). Post Pleistocene faunal succession in Western Australia and its climatic interpretation. Report of the International Geological Congress, XXI Session, Norden 1960 Pt. IV Chronology and climatology of the Quaternary, pp. 142-153.

Macintosh, N. W. G. (1964). 4 thousand year old thylacine tooth (dasyuridae ) + 3 thousand year old dingo skeleton from D J Mulvaneys archaeological excavations at Fromms Landing Lower Murray River. Journal of Anatomy 98(3): 491-495.

Macintosh, N. W. G. and Mahoney, J. A. (1964). A 4,000 years old thylacine tooth (Dasyuridae) from Shelter 2. Proc. R. Soc. Vic. 77: 507-516.

McDowell, M. C. (1997). Taphonomy and palaeoenvironmental interpretation of a late Holocene deposit from Black’s Point Sinkhole, Venus Bay, SA. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 117: 79-95.

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Merrilees, Duncan. (1968). Man the destroyer: late Quaternary changes in the Australian marsupial fauna. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 51: 1-24.

Merrilees, Duncan. (1970). A Check on the Radiocarbon Dating of Dessicated Thylacine (Marsupial "Wolf") and Dog Tissue From Thylacine Hole, Nullarbor Region, Western Australia. Helictite 8(2): 39-42.

Merrilees, Duncan. (1973). Fossiliferous deposits at Lake Tandou, New South Wales, Australia. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 34:177-182.

Merrilees, Duncan. (1979a). Prehistoric rock wallabies (Marsupialia, Macropodidae, Petrogale) in the far south-west of Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 61(3): 73-96. [According to J. H. Calaby: "Appendix 1: Canis and Thylacinus in Yallingup Cave"]

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Milham, P. and Thompson, P. (1976). Relative Antiquity of Human Occupation and Extinct Fauna at Madura Cave, Southeastern Western Australia. Mankind 10(3): 175-180. [First page]

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Wylie, John. (2018). Discovery of Tasmania’s first cave. Caves Australia 206: 5-11.

Appendix 1: Publications that report a number of previous dates

Archer, Michael "Mike". (1974). New information about the Quaternary distribution of the Thylacine (Marsupialia: Thylacinidae) in Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 57(2): 43-50.

Gale, S. J. (2009). Event chronostratigraphy: A high-resolution tool for dating the recent past. Quaternary Geochronology 4(5): 391-399. [Abstract]

Howlett, Roger M. (2012). Discovery and Exploration of Thylacine Cave, Nullarbor WA.  Caves Australia 189: 17-19.