On Jun. 28, 2011, to prevent extinction of the Tasmanian tiger, a team of scientists led by the University of Melbourne announced they had sequenced the genome of the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus), making it one of the most complete genetic blueprints for an extinct animal.

The team sequenced and analyzed the entire genome of one healthy individual and one that died of a contagious cancer known as devil facial tumor disease. The research helped to formulate a plan to prevent the extinction of the animal — a marsupial found in the wild exclusively in the Australian island-state of Tasmania. The research model also may be extended to other endangered species.