Tasmanian tiger doomed long before humans came along

SYDNEY - The Tasmanian tiger was doomed long before humans began hunting the enigmatic marsupial, scientists said on Tuesday, with DNA sequencing showing it was in poor genetic health for thousands of years before its extinction.

Scientists genetically mapped the animal - also known as a thylacine - using the genome of a pup preserved more than a century ago in a jar.

The research revealed the creature began to undergo a decline in genetic diversity more than 70,000 years ago, leaving it less resilient to environmental change even before Aborigines are believed to have first inhabited the continent 65,000 years ago.