Find out the ancestors of domestic cats

The first domestic cat was an aggressive rat hunter and had a long-lasting relationship with farmers who lived in the Middle East 10,000 years ago. By DNA technology, the researchers found the ancestors of domestic cats, which are wild cats in the Near East (Felis silvestris lybica) living in what is today Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Wild cats begin to appear in the forests where farmers settle and build grain depots as good prey for rats. This animal is more friendly than the other members of the cat family."Wild cats are still known as terrifying predators, extremely dangerous, fierce, and attacking all species, including humans," study author Stephen O'Brien at the US National Cancer Institute. said. "This cat is very friendly and is a talented rat hunter at the same time."

(Photo: Artfiles.art.com) This wild cat can bring two benefits to farmers. One is that it helps chase thousands of rats to attack the barn and the other is to become an entertainment tool for families and children.

"Therefore, it was the beginning of one of the most successful biological tests, a ferocious carnivorous species that changed its attitude and became friendly with humans."

However, there is no fossil evidence that humans have domesticated cats since then. In ancient Egypt, cats were highly regarded by humans. A skeleton excavated in Cyprus in 2004 showed that humans have been raising cats for more than 9,000 years ago.

The researchers analyzed DNA samples from 979 cats to find out the relationship between domestic cats and wild cats from three continents, including the Near East. They removed parts of Europe, Central Asia, South Africa, China and found the Middle East to be the origin of domestic cats.

Its descendants have been transported around the world by humans."Every domestic cat seems to have a single ancestor," said Carlos Driscoll at Oxford University, England.

Wild cats in the Near East today may be like their ancestors, aggressive, reclusive and like to eat birds and mice.

MT