Catching Cancer
Abstract
Tasmanian devils, the largest marsupial carnivores, have lived in
relative isolation on the island of Tasmania. Consequently, there is
limited genetic diversity within the devil population, reducing the
population's overall fitness and making them more susceptible to the
spread of infectious disease. In the past 30 years one such disease, a
contagious cancer, has emerged posing an existential threat to the
species. The cancer, devil tumor facial disease, is of non-viral origin
and is spread by biting which has enabled it to disseminate throughout
the devil population, in-and-between different geographic loci. Under
this intense selective pressure an evolutionary arms race emerged
between the contagious disease and the genetics of the devil host. Aided
by the efforts of conscientious scientists there is now hope for the
future of the Tasmanian devil population. Furthermore, the Tasmanian
devil facial tumor has served as a case study in the value of
interdisciplinary science, bringing together ecologists, immunologists,
cell biologists, epidemiologists, and cancer biologist, all with the
combined goal of saving the Tasmanian devil species.