For many years, archaeologists believed that cats and humans began living together around 9,500 years ago in the Levant (today's Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean), coinciding with the beginning of the Neolithic Period and the advent of agriculture .
The old theory was that grain storage attracted rodents, which in turn attracted feral cats to hunt. Cats became useful in protecting food, and humans gradually “adopted” them.
The oldest archaeological evidence is a cat skeleton in a tomb in Cyprus, dating to this period.
However, new genetic analysis of cat remains from numerous archaeological sites in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia suggests that modern housecats originated much earlier.
Professor Greger Larson said researchers had "begun to re-examine supposed domestic cat skeletons dating back 10,000 years" and found they did not share the same genetic makeup as the dominant modern domestic cat population.
New discovery about the origin of domestic cats
The first study analyzed 87 ancient and modern cat genomes and concluded that domestic cats (Felis catus) originated in North Africa, not the Levant. Their ancestors were closely related to the African wildcat (Felis lybica lybica).
These cats established the gene pool of the modern domestic cat and appear to have spread throughout Europe with the rise of the Roman Empire about 2,000 years ago.
A second study found that by 730 AD, domestic cats were already present in China, likely traveling with Silk Road traders. The study analyzed the DNA of 22 cat skeletons excavated in China over a period of 5,000 years.
Before domestic cats appeared in China, humans lived there with leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis). Their remains have been discovered at at least seven archaeological sites, dating from 5,400 years ago to 150 AD.
The relationship between leopard cats and humans is “symbiotic” but they have never been fully domesticated, despite living together for more than 3,500 years. Humans benefit from their ability to catch mice, while cats have a ready source of food.
Leopard cats were not domesticated, possibly because they were known to hunt chickens rather than just rodents, causing conflicts when poultry farming methods changed. They retreated from human habitats and returned to their natural habitats.
Cats and Ancient Egypt: Unsolved Mysteries
Biology professor Jonathan Losos emphasizes the special place of cats in ancient Egyptian culture. Images of cats appear densely on the walls of tombs, wearing jewelry, using separate dishes and sitting next to their owners as a member of the family.
However, the big question remains unanswered: was Egypt the cradle of domestication of the domestic cat, or was it simply where the wild “mouse hunters” began to bond with humans?
New research in Europe has shown that cat skeletons found in archaeological sites dating back to 200 BC are actually European wildcats (Felis silvestris), not domestic cats. Despite their physical similarities, genetic analysis has made clear distinctions.
The quest to trace the history of cats remains unfinished, he said. The lack of specimens from North Africa and Southwest Asia, areas considered key, leaves the picture of the origins of the domestic cat incomplete.
Source: https://congluan.vn/dna-co-dai-he-lo-ve-nguon-goc-meo-tro-thanh-thu-cung-cua-con-nguoi-10319800.html
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