How cats conquered the world – by hitching rides with traders
Unlike dogs, cats largely tamed themselves – following people for the mice – and were only bred for looks millennia later.
Takeaway
Ancient DNA shows domestic cats spread in two waves: from the Near East in the Neolithic, then from Egypt along trade routes.
What the study did
- Scientists analysed ancient DNA from cat remains at archaeological sites spanning thousands of years.
- First wave: Near Eastern wildcats followed early farmers during the Neolithic.
- Later wave: Egyptian cats spread widely in the Classical period along sea and land trade routes.
- The blotched tabby coat only became common after the Middle Ages – so breeding cats for looks came very late.
Limitations
Based on whatever bones survive, so coverage is uneven; this summary is drawn from the abstract only.
Citation
Ottoni C, Van Neer W, De Cupere B, Daligault J, Guimaraes S, Peters J et al. (2017). The palaeogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world. Nature Ecology & Evolution. DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0139
For general information only; it does not replace advice from your vet.
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