How We Domesticated Cats (Twice)

Summary

This video explores the fascinating history of cat domestication, focusing on the surprising discovery of a 9,500-year-old burial in Cyprus, where a human was buried alongside a cat. It traces the origins of domesticated cats to African wildcats and explains how humans likely influenced their domestication by attracting them to settlements for pest control. The video covers the genetic evolution of cats, including their migration to Cyprus and Egypt, and how they spread globally. Despite their domestication, cats still maintain many behaviors and physical traits of their wild ancestors, leading to their worldwide dominance with an estimated 600 million cats today.

Takeaways

• 😀 Archaeologists discovered that Cyprus has a cat population of about 1.5 million, which outnumbers its human population.
• 😀 A burial site found in Cyprus, dating to 9,500 years ago, contained the remains of a human and an 8-month-old cat, suggesting an early bond between humans and cats.
• 😀 The domestication of cats dates back around 10,000 years, with *Felis silvestris lybica*, an African wildcat, being the direct ancestor of today's house cats.
• 😀 Unlike other domesticated animals, cats did not undergo significant physical changes in comparison to their wild ancestors, retaining many of their original behaviors.
• 😀 The domestication of cats likely followed the commensal pathway, where wildcats were attracted to human settlements by food sources like rodents.
• 😀 Early evidence of cats helping humans control pests comes from ancient China, where cats were found eating millet that had been stored by human villagers.
• 😀 Through domestication, cats became smaller and developed a wider variety of coat colors and patterns, such as tabby and multi-colored fur.
• 😀 Cats were domesticated in two distinct waves: once in Southwest Asia around 10,000 years ago, and again in Egypt about 3,500 years ago.
• 😀 Evidence from ancient Egypt, such as burial sites and artwork, shows that cats were cared for by humans and often depicted in domestic settings.
• 😀 By around 2,000 years ago, as the Roman Empire expanded, cats spread further, continuing their role as pest controllers in human settlements.
• 😀 Today, there are an estimated 600 million domesticated cats worldwide, thanks to human efforts in spreading them across different regions of the globe.

Q & A

How many cats are estimated to inhabit Cyprus?

Cyprus is home to an estimated 1.5 million cats, which includes both pets and feral cats, outnumbering the human population of about 1.2 million.

What surprising discovery did French archaeologists make in Cyprus in 2001?

French archaeologists uncovered the grave of a man who was buried with offerings, including an 8-month-old cat, dating back around 9,500 years, providing some of the oldest evidence of human-cat companionship.

What is the direct ancestor of the modern domesticated cat?

The direct ancestor of the modern domesticated cat is the African wildcat, specifically the subspecies Felis silvestris lybica.

What does the mackerel-tabby coat pattern signify in wild cats?

The mackerel-tabby coat pattern, which features stripes running perpendicular to the spine, is characteristic of wild cats like Felis silvestris lybica and can still be seen in modern cats.

What is the commensal pathway in the domestication of animals?

The commensal pathway refers to the process where wild animals are attracted to human settlements by food, leading to domestication as they begin to depend on humans for food and shelter.

How did humans benefit from the presence of cats in early settlements?

Early humans noticed that cats were effective at controlling pests like mice, which fed on stored grains, providing a natural pest control service.

How did domestication affect the physical characteristics of cats?

Domestication made cats smaller than their wild ancestors and introduced new coat color variations, including black, orange, and white, although their overall morphology remained quite similar to wildcats.

When and where did the domestication of cats likely occur?

Cat domestication is believed to have begun about 10,000 years ago in Southwest Asia, with a second phase of domestication occurring around 3,500 years ago in Egypt.

What evidence supports the idea that cats were domesticated multiple times?

Genomic analysis and archaeological findings suggest that domesticated cats have two separate genetic origins, one from Southwest Asia and another from Egypt, confirming multiple domestication events.

What role did the Romans play in the spread of domesticated cats?

The Romans are believed to have contributed to the spread of domesticated cats across Europe, likely bringing them from Egypt through trade and interaction, where cats were already kept as pets.