X-ray analysis reveals auctioned taxidermy head is rare thylacine specimen
X-ray scans confirmed that a taxidermied head bought as a fox at a UK auction is actually an extinct thylacine, now entered into the International Thylacine Specimen Database for DNA study.
A taxidermied animal head listed as a fox in a UK auction was identified through X-ray imaging as a genuine thylacine, the extinct Tasmanian tiger. James Cranfield purchased the piece for £62,600 after recognizing its distinctive eight upper incisors. Steven Sleightholme of the International Thylacine Specimen Database confirmed the skull’s completeness and added the find to the global register, emphasizing its rarity as only the second known head mount.
The specimen will be kept in a secure location while scientists, including Andrew Pask of Colossal Bioscience, prepare to sample its DNA for de-extinction research. The mount will eventually be made available to the academic community and may be displayed publicly. This discovery underscores both historic taxidermy methods and contemporary efforts to revive extinct species.
Why it matters
The find provides a rare genetic source that could help scientists revive the extinct thylacine.
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