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House Cat Origin Traced to Middle Eastern Wildcat Ancestor
Cat fanciers have long known that their feline friends have wild origins. Now scientists have identified the house cat's maternal ancestors and traced them back to the Fertile Crescent.
Cat fanciers have long known that their feline friends have wild origins.
Now scientists have identified the house cat's maternal ancestors and traced them back to the Fertile Crescent.
The Near Eastern wildcat still roams the deserts of Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other Middle Eastern countries. Between 70,000 and 100,000 years ago the animal gave rise to the genetic lineage that eventually produced all domesticated cats.
"It's plausible that the ancient [domestic cat] lineages were present in the wildcat populations back as far as 70,000 or 100,000 years ago," said study co-author Stephen O'Brien of the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland.
