when were cats domesticated? course hero

Full Answer

When did cats become domesticated?

These wildcats are still found today in Europe, Africa, and southern parts of Asia. The research also revealed that cats were most likely to become domesticated around 12,000 years ago. This timeline isn’t very long compared to the age of the Earth.

Where do cats originate from?

Genetic research has found that all domestic cats, called Felis catus, are traced back to a wildcat from the Middle East called Felis sylvestris. These wildcats are still found today in Europe, Africa, and southern parts of Asia.

What breeds of cats are descended from wild cats?

Research has found that all breeds of domestic cats are descended from a wildcat called Felis sylvestris. This species was found across Europe, Southern Asia, and Africa. These cats can still be found in the wild today, in three main subspecies: European wildcats, Asiatic wildcats, and African wildcats.

How did cats adapt to their environment during domestication?

During domestication, the anatomy and behavior of cats didn’t change much at all. It’s thought that some of the natural traits of wildcats helped them quickly adapt to domestication, including: Until the 19 th century, there weren’t clearly defined breeds of domestic cats.

How Were Wildcats Domesticated?

It seems like a pretty big leap from wild animals to the domesticated cats that lounge around the house all day. People usually assume that some kind-hearted human came across a litter of kittens in the forest and took them in. After all, that’s how it happens for many people today. While it’s a lovely thought, that’s not what actually happened.

Cat History

As you may already know, ancient Egyptians became fascinated with cats and eventually brought them into their homes and worshipped them. They were amazed at the cat’s ability to keep them safe from dangerous rodents, scorpions, and snakes. They even worshipped feline deities and demons, too.

The Differences Between Domesticated Cats and Wildcats

While the domestication of cats isn’t that old, quite a few differences have taken place over the past 12,000 years.

Conclusion

Unlike wildcats, our cats today make exceptional housemates. Each cat has its own personality and keeps you on your toes for the day. They have become some of the best companions and ones that we can always rely on to comfort us at the end of a hard day.

Reasons of Cat Domestication

Effects of human interventions have changed a lot of things on the pathway of tameness. Cats are mostly domesticated because of the beautiful colour of fur or patterns and are solitary animals. Humans can’t control themselves physically as they do not like to be confined.

How did Cats Become Domesticated?

Scientists have researched a lot to place together all riddles regarding the domesticated cat evolution, where do cats come from. History shows that cats and humans have been interactive with each other. All domesticated cats come from the Felis Silvestric typical family in ancient Egypt.

Cats Vs WildCats

There are certain differences between domestic and wild cats. The nature of wild cats is more aggressive than domestic ones. Domestic ones remain with beautiful memories and tolerate human interaction. Wild cats have a larger brain size than domestic cats. The difference in lifestyle determines the pupil shape of the eyes.

FAQs

Cats are domesticated from ancient Egypt, as you can observe cats underneath chairs from 3500 years ago paintings. However, cats may have been petted around 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent.

Conclusion

Domestication of cats has evolved from ancient times. They adapted themselves in houses with a change of nature and interaction with humans. Most domesticated cats have a similar nature to wild cats. They made humans love them. People need to take a break from mundane life that is why staying with them reduces most of their stress.

Why did humans carry cats?

The results suggest that prehistoric human populations probably began carrying their cats along ancient land and sea trade routes to control rodents.

How long did cats live in humans?

In a new comprehensive study of the spread of domesticated cats, DNA analysis suggests that cats lived for thousands of years alongside humans before they were domesticated.

How do you tell a cat apart from a wild cat?

Surprisingly, wild and domestic cats showed no major differences in their genetic makeup, and one of the few traits available for telling them apart was the tabby coat mark ing.

What is the problem with the cat population in Jerusalem?

Cat overpopulation threatens the well-being of felines in the Old City of Jerusalem, leaving them susceptible to disease, neglect, and starvation. However, one resident has made it her mission to look after Jerusalem's strays and give them the best life possible.

Why were dogs selected?

This is in contrast to dogs, the first animals to be domesticated, Geigl adds. Dogs were selected to perform specific tasks—which never was the case for cats— and this selection for particular traits is what led to dogs’ diversification to the many breeds we see today.

Do cats become domesticated?

Overall, cats became a domesticated companion of humans without changing much, says evolutionary geneticist and article coauthor Eva-Maria Geigl. Domestic cats look similar to wildcats, but they aren’t solitary, tolerating both humans and other cats. (See " Our Most Stunning Pictures of Big Cats .")

Did humans take cats?

Cats likely followed the rodent populations and, in turn, frequently approached the human settlements. “This is probably how the first encounter between humans and cats occurred,” says study coauthor Claudio Ottoni of the University of Leuven. “It’s not that humans took some cats and put them inside cages,” he says.

When were cats domesticated?

This same research also revealed that cats were likely domesticated in the Near East around 12,000 years ago. Dogs were domesticated thousands of years before than cats. Learn how dogs evolved from wolves..

Why were cats considered deities?

The Ancient Egyptians were enthralled with the cat’s ability to keep them safe from rodents, snakes, scorpions, and other dangerous critters. They were so enthralled with cats that they took them into their homes and thought of them as part of their families.

How do cats and wildcats communicate?

Cats and wildcats have quite a few similar behaviors. For instance, although cats don’t roar, they communicate through vocalizations like wildcats (cats even make some pretty weird noises ). They also both sleep a lot—around 16 to 20 hours a day, and they like to hunt and stalk their prey.

Where do cats come from?

Genetic research published in Science found that all domestic cats (Felis catus) can be traced back to a wildcat in the Middle East called Felis sylvestris, which means cat of the forest in Latin. These wildcats can still be found in Africa, southern Asia, and Europe. This same research also revealed that cats were likely domesticated in the Near East around 12,000 years ago.

Why are cats smaller than wild cats?

Smaller overall size – As their diet and activity level changed , cats became smaller in size compared to wildcats.

Why do cats have vertical pupils?

A cat's vertical pupils make it easier for them to gauge distances and pounce on their prey.

Why do humans not breed cats?

Humans generally liked cats just the way they were, and we did not breed them to excel at specific tasks or have particular traits like we did dogs. Cats developed different features by breeding with other cats in their groups as well as wildcats.

Where were cats domesticated?

There is also a great deal of evidence of feline domestication in Egypt. This was originally where cats were thought to have been domesticated, until the earlier evidence was found. Cat skulls were found in Egyptian burial grounds, and the cat in general, also known as Mau by the ancient Egyptians, was depicted in the Egyptian god Bastet.

Where were wild cats first domesticated?

Image Credit: Dimitris Vetsikas, Pixabay. It’s thought that wildcats were first domesticated in the Near East. The first evidence that we have of cats being near to human settlements was found in Southern Cyprus, at a Neolithic site called Shillourokambos. Here, the skeleton of an African wildcat was found close to a human grave.

Why did wild cats spread?

As wildcats became less afraid of humans, traders began to bring cats on sea voyages as they transported grain and other perishable goods. In this way, the cat spread throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

What are some examples of domestic cats?

It’s these natural breeds that founded the different breeds of domestic cats that we see today. Natural cat breeds are also known as “landraces” and are adapted to their environment. Examples of these types of breed include the Norwegian Forest Cat, Japanese Bobtail, Russian Blue, and Turkish Van.

What are some examples of natural cat breeds?

Examples of these types of breed include the Norwegian Forest Cat, Japanese Bobtail, Russian Blue, and Turkish Van.

Why were wildcats attracted to humans?

Wildcats were attracted to human settlements, probably due to the number of mice. As an easy source of food, wildcats would have spent time catching these mice on the edge of settlements. Farmers realized that the wildcats were doing them a favor by hunting the mice, and the process of domestication began.

What are the traits of wild cats that help them adapt to domestication?

It’s thought that some of the natural traits of wildcats helped them quickly adapt to domestication, including: Relatively small size. Sociable natures. Intelligence.

What was the first domestic cat?

The first domestic cat genes the scientists identified were the blotch pattern on the tabby cat —the first truly domesticated, if such a word can be used, house cat. MORE: He Thought it was a Kitten Lost in the Snow – But it was One of The Most Endangered Mammals in Europe.

When did cats first appear?

A study from 2017 looked at the genetics of over 200 cats, from all five wild subspecies, along with cat remains from stone age Romania, and even Egyptian cat mummies, and found that f. lybica in the Near East in 4,400 BCE, and in North Africa around 1,500 BCE, gave rise to the domestic cat, likely because it was here where the earliest agricultural civilizations occurred.

What are the two lines of cats?

The two lineages of cats—the European forest cat ( felis silvestris silvestris) and Southwest Asia/North African wildcat ( felis silvestris lybica) —are solitary hunters that lack any strong social hierarchy, which would make them poor candidates for domestication by humans, to start with.

Why did the cat come to the wharf?

It was the cat, itself, who came to prize the territory around the homes of the ancient farmer, or the wharf of the ancient mariner. They were drawn to a plentiful supply of prey in the form of rodents—which brought their species and ours to be inseparably linked.

When did the tabby cat come out?

Tabby cats evolved their characteristic blotches in the Ottoman Empire in 1,300 CE , and it wasn’t until the 18th century that the tabby pattern began to be associated, societally, with domestication.

Do cats breed in close proximity to humans?

Rather than merging social hierarchies and breeding selectively like humans did with wolves—cats simply existed in close proximity to humans, without ever fully entering societal processes.

How Were Wildcats Domesticated?

Cat History

• As you may already know, ancient Egyptians became fascinated with cats and eventually brought them into their homes and worshipped them. They were amazed at the cat’s ability to keep them safe from dangerous rodents, scorpions, and snakes. They even worshipped feline deities and demons, too. Their beliefs were so serious that killing a cat could be...

See more on petkeen.com

The Differences Between Domesticated Cats and Wildcats

Conclusion

Overview

Archaeological evidence

Scientists also used archaeological and behavioral studies to help further solidify the discovery that F.s. lybica was the common ancestor to domesticated cats. Fragments of teeth and bone found at burial sites across the globe have all been connected by DNA analysis to F.s. lybica, some dating as far back as 7,000-8,000 years ago. Originally the Egyptian populations were credited with the early domestication of cats approximately 3,600 years ago but archaeological …

DNA and phylogenetic evidence

Behavioral evidence

Domestic cat breed differentiation

Contemporary breeds

See also