Home News Devil tumour disease a parasite, say experts

Devil tumour disease a parasite, say experts

By AG staff with AAP • 3 July 2012

Tassie devils are at the mercy of a parasite-like cancer. (Credit: Getty)

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The infectious cancer afflicting Tasmanian devils displays many of the properties of a parasitic organism.

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Before species go extinct, their populations often shrink and become isolated. Healthy populations tend to have a large gene pool with many genetic variants circulating. But the path to extinction erodes genetic diversity, because a species’ gene pool shrinks as the population declines. Losing genetic diversity limits the ability of populations to adapt to threats such as disease and climate change.