| Taxidermy
Specimens (continued):
In addition to complete taxidermy mounts, a single head mount exists within
the private collection of the late Dr. Eric Guiler of Hobart.
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The ITSD notes that sexing of taxidermy mounts can prove challenging, as
vestiges of gender were infrequently preserved in the skinning process.
Fortunately, skulls are often an integral part of the taxidermy, and the
sex of the individual can normally be reliably determined from detailed |
| measurements
of the skull. A number of male mounts have the scrotal sac preserved
and in some cases the penis; manifest advantages when determining sex.
In all the male taxidermies where the scrotal sac is present, it is displayed
in a pendulous state, outside of its protective pouch. In some of
the female mounts where the pouch is no longer present, the guard hairs
surrounding the pouch have been retained, thus providing proof of gender.
In a small number of taxidermies, the taxidermists have utilised dog, instead
of thylacine skulls, in the construct of the manikin. This was presumably
undertaken to preserve the thylacine skull for |
.
Dr.
Eric Guiler with head mount of a thylacine.
Courtesy:
Dr. Eric Guiler. |
|
scientific study.
Such specimens are easily identified by the presence of the large carnassial
teeth that are absent in the thylacine. The carnassial tooth can
clearly be seen (circled) in the photograph below (left) of the head of
taxidermy specimen MHNN 94.1029 in the Museum d' Histoire Naturelle collection
in Neuchâtel.
The ITSD states: "Many of the early thylacine taxidermies bore little
resemblance to the animal we are familiar with from historic photographs
and tended, with their elongated bodies and short legs, to resemble the
weasel family (mustelids) in their general appearance". One such
example is taxidermy specimen MHNM 14729 (below right), at the Museum d'
Histoire Naturelle de Marseilles.
.
| Taxidermy
specimen MHNN 94.1029. Courtesy: Museum d' Histoire Naturelle (Neuchâtel).
Source: International Thylacine Specimen Database (2013). |
|
.
| Taxidermy
specimen MHNM 14729. Courtesy: Museum d' Histoire Naturelle de Marseilles.
Source: International Thylacine Specimen Database (2013). |
|
One explanation for this faux pas is that the taxidermists of the
day are unlikely to have ever seen a living thylacine, and at best were
presented with a skin, and possibly an early drawing to work from.
One such early representation, dating from 1817, is that by the artist
John Lewin shown below.
.
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"A
new animal of the Derwent" (circa 1817). Artist: John William
Lewin (1770-1819). Courtesy: Linnean Society, London. Photo: Dr. Stephen
Sleightholme.
|
A number of the early taxidermies depict the thylacine's tail with a serpentine
curve like that of a dog. Once again, this is technically incorrect,
as the tail of the thylacine in life would have been held relatively straight,
in either an elevated or declined position.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, as familiarity with the species
improved, taxidermy specimens finally did justice to the animal they were
attempting to portray.
.
Taxidermy
specimen AMNH 35866. Courtesy: American Museum of Natural History.
Source:
International Thylacine Specimen Database (2013).
|
.
.
Taxidermy
specimen NRMA 592206. Courtesy: Swedish Museum of Natural History.
Source:
International Thylacine Specimen Database (2013).
|
.
.
Taxidermy specimen:
SMTD B4126. Courtesy: Museum fur Tierkunde.
Source:
International Thylacine Specimen Database (2013).
|
.
.
Taxidermy specimen:
M441. Courtesy: Natural History Museum (Oslo).
Source:
International Thylacine Specimen Database (2013).
|
.
.
Taxidermy
specimen: MNSG 743. Courtesy: Museo Civico di Storia Naturale "Giacomo
Doria".
Source:
International Thylacine Specimen Database (2013).
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