Rapidly cooling climate changes which took place millions of years ago has been linked to the demise of the Tasmanian tiger.

As wet forests turned into drier woodlands the Tasmanian thylacine was unable to adapt to colder temperatures around 14 million years ago, the Herald Sun reported.

Although the Australian marsupial was also hunted to extinction, their genetic health deteriorated as a result of their inability to adapt to drops of about 7C.

A new study has found rapidly cooling climate change is linked to the demise of the Tasmanian tiger

The health of the tigers deteriorated unable to handle the drops of about 7C around 14 million years ago

As the species began to dwindle, the Tasmanian devil and its relatives was able to rise above, according to a study led by the Australian National University.

'At this time of extreme cooling, we also see the rise of modern carnivorous marsupials such as the Tasmanian devil and cat-sized quolls, which are dasyurids,' ANU School of Culture, History and Language's Ms Kealy said.

'We think the structure of tigers' feet and ankles might have made them better suited to closed forests with uneven surfaces, such as roots and logs, and less well suited to open woodlands.

The research analysed skull, teeth, jaw and skeletal features along with molecular gene sequences.

'While this study strongly suggests that the cooling, drying climate 14 million years ago was the key change that sparked the diversification of dasyurid species, the exact relationships between dasyurids and thylacines at this time requires further research,' Ms Kealy said.