The Last Tasmanian Tiger: The History and Extinction of the Thylacine

"Underneath this story, Bob Paddle uncovers a deeper intellectual snobbery that set the scene for the thylacine's eventual extinction. His insightful analysis shows that nineteenth-century European sensibilities regarding 'more developed' cultures were paralleled by similar prejudices about animals. The thylacine, as a marsupial, came to be considered an inferior species, one that would be of no loss to the developing world. The Last Tasmanian Tiger offers new perspectives for both scholarly and general readers on the subjective nature of scientific investigation and the politics of preservation."--BOOK JACKET.