Data from: Anthropogenic selection enhances cancer evolution in Tasmanian devil tumours

The Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) provides a unique
opportunity to elucidate the long-term effects of natural and
anthropogenic selection on cancer evolution. Since first observed in 1996,
this transmissible cancer has caused local population declines by
>90%. So far, four chromosomal DFTD variants (strains) have been
described and karyotypic analyses of 253 tumours showed higher levels of
tetraploidy in the oldest strain. We propose that increased ploidy in the
oldest strain may have evolved in response to effects of genomic decay
observed in asexually reproducing organisms. In this study, we focus on
the evolutionary response of DFTD to a disease suppression trial. Tumours
collected from devils subjected to the removal programme showed
accelerated temporal evolution of tetraploidy compared with tumours from
other populations where no increase in tetraploid tumours were observed.
As ploidy significantly reduces tumour growth rate, we suggest that the
disease suppression trial resulted in selection favouring slower growing
tumours mediated by an increased level of tetraploidy. Our study reveals
that DFTD has the capacity to rapidly respond to novel selective regimes
and that disease eradication may result in novel tumour adaptations, which
may further imperil the long-term survival of the world's largest
carnivorous marsupial.