Thylacine and Tasmanian devil: between hope and reality – a lesson to be learnt from Google Trends search data
Michael Zieger
A C and Steffen Springer B
A SRH Wald-Klinikum Gera GmbH, 07548 Gera, Germany.
B University Hospital Jena, 07740 Jena, Germany.
C Corresponding author. Email: Michael_Zieger@icloud.com
Australian Journal of Zoology 67(4) 221-225 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20073
Submitted: 11 August 2020 Accepted: 7 October 2020 Published: 30 October 2020
Abstract
The two iconic Tasmanian species, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) and the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), are of great interest to the general public and the media. The most likely extinct Tasmanian wolf or tiger, the thylacine, symbolises human responsibility for nature and species conservation and inspired the ‘National Threatened Species Day’, which commemorates the death of the last thylacine at Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart on 7 September 1936 to raise awareness of endangered plants and animals. Since the spread of the Devil Facial Tumour Disease critically endangered the survival of the largest remaining native carnivore (S. harrisii) today, this has generated both scientific interest and the interest of the general public. Google Trends has already been used as a tool for documenting and investigating the information needs and concerns of the population, as has been shown using the example of diseases. In this study, Google Trends data were used to examine the seasonality of the search term ‘thylacine sightings’ and the development of the frequency of different search terms in the period between 2004 and 2020. As a result, relative search intensities for ‘thylacine cloning’ and ‘cloning extinct species’ have shown a decrease over time. While Google Trends cannot clearly determine search motivation, search terms can be selected for the examinations that document more hope or a rational need for information or concern.
Keywords: cloning, Devil Facial Tumour Disease, extinct species, Google Trends, National Threatened Species Day, Sarcophilus harrisii, search engine data, Tasmanian devil, thylacine, Thylacinus cynocephalus.
References
Archer, M., Burnley, I., Dodson, J., Harding, R., Head, L., and Murphy, A. (1998). From plesiosaurs to people: 100 million years of Australian environmental history. Australia: State of the Environment Technical Paper Series (Portrait of Australia), Department of the Environment, Canberra.Dietzel, M. A. (2016). Sentiment-based predictions of housing market turning points with Google trends. International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis 9, 108–136.
| Sentiment-based predictions of housing market turning points with Google trends.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Evans Ogden, L. (2014). Extinction is forever … or is it? Bioscience 64, 469–475.
| Extinction is forever … or is it?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fletcher, A. L. (2014). Bio-Identities: Cloning the Recently Extinct. In ‘Mendel’s Ark’. pp. 67–88. (Springer: Dordrecht.)
Gmelch, S. B., and Gmelch, M. Z. (2017). Lost then loved: the case of the Tasmanian tiger. Natural History 125, 36–41.
Gooley, R., Hogg, C. J., Belov, K, and Grueber, C. E. (2017). No evidence of inbreeding depression in a Tasmanian devil insurance population despite significant variation in inbreeding. Scientific Reports 7, 1830.
| No evidence of inbreeding depression in a Tasmanian devil insurance population despite significant variation in inbreeding.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 28500329PubMed |
Guiler, E. R., and Godard, P. (1998). ‘Tasmanian Tiger: a Lesson to be Learnt.’ (Abrolhos Pub.)
Heberle, G. (2004). Reports of alleged thylacine sightings in Western Australia. Conservation Science Western Australia 5, 1–5.
Hobday, A. J., and Minstrell, M. L. (2008). Distribution and abundance of roadkill on Tasmanian highways: human management options. Wildlife Research 35, 712–726.
| Distribution and abundance of roadkill on Tasmanian highways: human management options.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kezwer, G. (1999). Australian scientist proposes recipe for cloning extinct tiger. Canadian Medical Association Journal 161, 680.
Lowry, D. C., and Lowry, J. W. J. (1967). Discovery of a thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) carcase in a cave near Eucla, Western Australia. Helictite 5, 25–29.
Mavragani, A., and Ochoa, G. (2019). Google Trends in infodemiology and infoveillance: methodology framework. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance 5, e13439.
| Google Trends in infodemiology and infoveillance: methodology framework.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 31144671PubMed |
McCallum, H., and Jones, M. (2006). To lose both would look like carelessness: Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease. PLoS Biology 4, e342.
| To lose both would look like carelessness: Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17048985PubMed |
McCallum, H., Jones, M, Hawkins, C, Hamede, R, Lachish, S, Sinn, D. L., Beeton, N, and Lazenby, B (2009). Transmission dynamics of Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease may lead to disease‐induced extinction. Ecology 90, 3379–3392.
| Transmission dynamics of Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease may lead to disease‐induced extinction.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20120807PubMed |
Murchison, E. P. (2008). Clonally transmissible cancers in dogs and Tasmanian devils. Oncogene 27, S19–S30.
| Clonally transmissible cancers in dogs and Tasmanian devils.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19956175PubMed |
Nghiem, L. T. P., Papworth, S. K., Lim, F. K. S., and Carrasco, L. R. (2016). Analysis of the capacity of Google Trends to measure interest in conservation topics and the role of online news. PLoS One 11, e0152802.
| Analysis of the capacity of Google Trends to measure interest in conservation topics and the role of online news.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Paddle, R. N. (2002). ‘The Last Tasmanian Tiger: the History and Extinction of the Thylacine.’ (Cambridge University Press.)
Proulx, R., Massicotte, P., and Pepino, M. (2014). Googling trends in conservation biology. Conservation Biology 28, 44–51.
| Googling trends in conservation biology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 24033767PubMed |
Sadleir, R. M., and Linklater, W. L. (2016). Annual and seasonal patterns in wildlife road-kill and their relationship with traffic density. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 43, 275–291.
| Annual and seasonal patterns in wildlife road-kill and their relationship with traffic density.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Springer, S., Menzel, L. M., and Zieger, M. (2020a). Google Trends provides a tool to monitor population concerns and information needs during COVID-19 pandemic. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 87, 109–110.
| Google Trends provides a tool to monitor population concerns and information needs during COVID-19 pandemic.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 32360607PubMed |
Springer, S., Menzel, L. M., and Zieger, M. (2020b). Google Trends reveals: focus of interest in the population is on treatment options rather than theories about COVID-19 animal origin. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 87, 134–135.
| Google Trends reveals: focus of interest in the population is on treatment options rather than theories about COVID-19 animal origin.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 32387509PubMed |
Wroe, S., and Johnson, C. (2003). Bring back the devil? Nature Australia 27, 84.
