Whose research first made the Tasmanian devil famous for an unusual contagious cancer?
Quick Answer
Mary Callahan’s and later Australian researchers’ work identified Devil Facial Tumour Disease in the mid-1990s, a rare contagious cancer in Tasmanian devils.
The Full Story
Devil Facial Tumour Disease was first recognized in Tasmanian devils in the mid-1990s, with early investigation by wildlife pathologists including Mary Callahan in Tasmania. The disease is remarkable because it is transmissible between animals, unlike most cancers, and it spreads through biting during social interactions. The cancer has caused major population declines in the species. Scientists have studied it intensely because it is one of the few known naturally occurring contagious cancers in mammals.
Key Facts
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"The weird cancer that jumps from animal to animal"
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