Blog post 1: Tracing the Domestication of the House Cat

     For many years, researches believed that all house cats could be traced back to the common ancestor Felis silvestris, a wildcat with various species in Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was believed that the different species of Felis Silvestris evolved into the different breeds of cats we see today. Scientists Carlos Driscoll, Juliet Clutton-Brock, Andrew Kitchener and Stephen O’Brien argue against this theory in their scientific article “The Taming of the Cat.” Through genetic testing, they determined that the DNA of house cats is almost identical to F. S. lybica, a wildcat found in the   Middle East. They believe that F.S lybica is a common ancestor of all house cats, and that all house cats can all trace their roots back to the Middle East.

     The authors of this paper also argue that contrary to what many scientists believe, house cats were not domesticated by the ancient Egyptians. Burial sites of the Fertile Crescent have been found that have cats buried next to humans that date back to 10,000 years ago. The authors state that the early evolution of the house cat was not enforced through human breeding efforts. Rather, members of F.S lybica learned to occupy a human created nitch. They evolved in way that best allowed them to eat human trash and small animals, such as mice, that human settlements attracted. Humans allowed cats into their homes so they would eat pests. 

     Though the ancient Egyptians were not the first to domesticate the cat, they did, according to this paper, play a key role in taming it. The ancient Egyptians bred cats to emphasize desirable traits, such as a tolerance and affection towards humans. They also worshiped, sacrificed, and mummified cats in the name of their goddess Bastet, who had the head of a cat. Though Egyptian law prohibited the exportation of cats over its borders, sailers of other nations began keeping domesticated cats on ships in an effort to control rat and mice populations. Through these ships, cats were spread throughout the world and evolved  through both natural and human breeding efforts into the different breeds of cats we see today.   

Citation:

Driscoll, C, Clutton-Brock, J, Kitchener, A, & O’Brien, S, 2009, 'The Taming of the Cat,’ Scientific American, vol 300, pp. 68-75