Cats May Have Been Domesticated Twice (sciencemag.org)

sciencehabit writes: Cats may have been domesticated twice, once in Turkey around 10,000 years ago, and again in Egypt, thousands of years later. That's the conclusion of a new genetic analysis of more than 200 ancient cats, including DNA extracted from Egyptian mummies. The scientists found evidence for an exodus of cats into the wider world from both ancient Turkey and ancient Egypt, but that these two waves of cats sported different genetic signatures. Whether or not the ancient Egyptians independently domesticated cats, their massive breeding programs appear to have further tamed the feline, turning cats from territorial and antisocial creatures into the lovable furballs we know today.

Comments

Who domesticated whom?

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

All those old ladies who live with dozens of cats living among the stench of them might have been infected with Toxoplasma virus. This virus infects the brain and creates a liking for cat urine and excreta! The life cycle of this virus is that it reproduces in cat bodies but matures in mice bodies. Makes the mice lose their fear of cats, and the cats eat them. It seems to have jumped to humans and humans find cats lovable because of this infection.

Thus one can seriously argue cats have been domesticating humans. We domesticated other animals and plants by careful selection and breeding programs. But cats have been domesticating us using a virus without either the cats or us being aware of it.

Re:Who domesticated whom?

[Anonymous Coward]

All those old ladies who live with dozens of cats living among the stench of them might have been infected with Toxoplasma virus.

a) It's not a virus
b) Most people get it by either eating or working with pork.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis#Transmission

It's not a virus!

[Ihlosi]

It's not a virus, but a parasite. The fact that it has a "life cycle" comprised of several reproductive stages should be a strong hint. Viruses just get host cells to make more viruses.

A lot of people don't understand cats

[DeplorableCodeMonkey]

Cats can be highly social, loving animals if you don't raise them like a feral that happens to live in your house. When ours were kittens, we used to cart them around the house all of the time like babies, holding them, petting them, etc. And quelle surprise... they had a lot more in common with the average dog in terms of affection than the average cat many people know.

Plus discipline. Set boundaries and set them hard from a young age. Cats generally will accept them.

Re:Cats stopped being antisocial?

[Oswald McWeany]

What is the summary talking about? Cats stopped being antisocial? I beg to differ, especially when cats are compared against dogs. While dogs largely have been tamed, largely becoming scavengers instead of predators, cats seem to retailers many more undomesticated attributes. The development of dogs from wolves was largely accidental, too, with the social skills of approaching human colonies for their scraps providing a significant survival advantage over wolves, which were far less social.

Anyone that has lived with a cat can tell you that they are very social animals. They're just not DEPENDANT on people like dogs are. Dogs are stuck on the "look at me, pay attention to me" mode. Cats are more like people, they have times they want to be with others, and times they want to be alone. They are very social though. They get lonely when left alone, and enjoy the company of others, even if they don't want constant petting.

Cats will typically want to curl up and sleep in whatever room you're in. They may not want you to touch them all the time, but they want to be near you.