Devil facial tumour disease

The Tasmanian devil is an apex predator and the largest marsupial carnivore. Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) is a highly aggressive, transmissible cancer that is decimating the Tasmanian devil population and threatening the species with extinction in as little as thirty years (Brüniche-Olsen et al., 2016). The disease first showed up in 1996 and a second transmissible cancer in devils was discovered in 2014. This disease has since declined the population 95% in some areas while spreading to more than 80% of their range (Hollings, et al., 2014). Research towards a vaccine will help to facilitate the reintroduction of these animals into the wild and would provide a new era in wildlife management and research. CANCER ORIGINS There are two known naturally occurring cancers that are transmissible: Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) and Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor (CTVT). Each of these first arose with a single individual as a result of low levels of genetic diversity (Grueber et al., 2011). Instead of having a normal life span, these clonal cells can live well past the life span of its host and cause DFTD in other devils. The transmission of the cancer in devils is thought to happen from direct inoculation of tumor cells when…

The Immortal Devil This article was centered around the Tasmanian devil. One may think for their breeding habits or lifestyle, but it was what was growing in them. The cancer, devil facial tumor disease, was the prime focus of this article and many others after seeing the devastation it caused. At the start of the article a biologist by the name of Menna Jones who had caught a Tasmanian devil and she proceeded to do what she has done many times before. She dumped the small creature out of the…

The Tasmanian devil is Tasmania’s national animal. They are carnivorous marsupials and dog shape in appearance with short legs, rough black hair and broad mouths. It was once native to the mainland of Australia but now is only found in Tasmania. They survive on small prey such as mainly snakes but also fish, birds and insects. They were declared endangered in 2009. (En.wikipedia.org, 2018) They play an important role in Tasmania’s ecosystem. They have both ecological and socioeconomic…

The fur is mostly black with white markings along the underside of the animal. The way the devil is shaped and sized depends on the habitat it is in and what food it consumes (Parks.tas.gov.au, 2018). Since 1990 the numbers of Tasmanian Devils have dropped dramatically with number of losses exceeding 100,000. One of the main causes of this is the rare cancer ‘Devil Facial Tumour Disease’ (DFTD) which is one of the two deadliest cancers in this species spreading like the flu from animal to…