Mr. QUAMMEN: Well, I had heard about the disease and since 1996, it's been sweeping across the island, killing what seemed to be thousands of Tasmanian devils.

NPR: Startling New Evidence Cancer Is Contagious

For example, in a few minutes, and without even leaving Wikipedia, you can travel from the Tasmanian Devil to Tasmanian devils to Tasmanian tigers to thylacines to convergent evolution.

FORBES: Why You Need More Wikipedia And Less Facebook

Scientists studying cancer in two very different animal species, Tasmanian devils and dogs say they found evidence that some cancer cells are being passed between animals through physical contact, like sex or biting.

NPR: Startling New Evidence Cancer Is Contagious

The population has recovered, but the genetic diversity has not recovered so that all the Tasmanian devils that exist are so similar to one another genetically that their immune systems don't seem to be able to tell one from another.

NPR: Startling New Evidence Cancer Is Contagious

Let's start with the Tasmanian devils.

NPR: Startling New Evidence Cancer Is Contagious

Ashleigh Griffin ( 2008 FWIS Fellow), Elizabeth Murchison ( 2009 FWIS Fellow), Araxi Urrutia ( 2007 FWIS Fellow) and Patricia Alireza ( 2009 FWIS Fellow) provided fascinating insights into their work on the behaviour of bacteria living in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients, transmissible cancers in Tasmanian Devils, human gene and genome evolution and the effects of high pressure at quantum level.

UNESCO: UK National Commission for UNESCO :: For Women In Science Fellows Share Experiences at Science Museum 'Lates'