Today, natural history museums are starting to research the deeper histories of how their collections were built, and this is revealing some surprising and troubling stories. 

Thylacines, or Tasmanian tigers, are icons of extinction, and some of the world’s best-preserved specimens are in University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge. This series explores new research there, uncovering an uncomfortable truth about how the history of the extinction of the thylacine had strong parallels with the violent events that took place in Tasmania in the nineteenth century. 

Join zoologist and author Jack Ashby (University of Cambridge), journalist and academic Lainy Malkani (University of the Arts London), and Elder uncle Hank Horton, a Pakana man from Trooloolway mob, lutruwita, Tasmania, for a conversation about thylacines, museum collecting, and why it’s important to tell these difficult stories. 

The series is part of a unique art/science collaboration between the Sonic Screen Lab, UAL (Lainy Malkani, Professor Shreepali Patel & Julia Schauerman), Hank Horton, and the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge (Jack Ashby).

Listeners should be aware that we will be discussing events that involved racial violence in Tasmania.

Takeaways

• The thylacine's extinction is linked to colonial violence.
• Colonialism had a devastating impact on Aboriginal populations.
• The human stories behind museum collections are often overlooked.
• Aboriginal culture emphasizes a deep connection to the land.
• Hank Horton shares insights on traditional Aboriginal practices.
• The thylacine was the largest marsupial carnivore of modern times.
• Genocide definitions apply to the treatment of Tasmanian Aboriginal people.
• The parallels between human and animal extinction are profound.
• Preservation efforts were not prioritized by colonizers.
• Understanding these histories is crucial for modern conservation efforts.

Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Human Story Behind Extinction

02:52 Colonial Violence and the Thylacine's Extinction

06:12 Aboriginal Connection to Country and Culture

09:05 Parallels Between Human and Animal Extinction

12:20 The Legacy of Collectors and Specimens