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9 Comments
lenerdenator
"Taken together, these studies significantly alter our understanding of one of humanity's most familiar companions. Rather than silently trailing behind early farmers, slinking ever closer to human activity and community, cats likely moved into Europe in multiple waves post-domestication from North Africa, propelled by human cultural practices, trade networks, and religious reverence."
Being treated like a god will get you everywhere.
dboreham
Although not mentioned in the article, I've heard that Egyptians developed a thing for orange cats (supposedly they look like the sun) and embarked on an intensive breeding program to make them for temple uses. Subsequently Vikings became intrigued by these orange cats on the basis they are easy to see on the deck of a ship (iron age hi-viz vests), and thereby spread them around everywhere (because Vikings).
lenerdenator
I guess I'm trying to get the message of the article.
It's more of an origin story of the current lineage of domestic cats in Europe, no? It sounds like ancient Europeans would have had wildcats and older waves of domesticated felines that were mostly supplanted by the current lineage.
jmyeet
I always figured that the cat's ability to eliminate vermin, particularly on ships, propelled their domestication and spread. This was simply too useful to early humans.
I'm reminded of the Russian silver fox domestication experiment [1]. What's interesting about that is how quickly the species adapts characteristics making them more desirable for humans.
[1]: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/russian-foxes-tameness-d…
ghaff
Domestic cats are arguably the most successful mammalian carnivores anywhere.
mannyv
Humans love feeding animals. Some animals love being fed.
Put them together and you have symbiosis.
delichon
Domestic cats are a contradiction in terms. They are small wild cats who have partially domesticated hairless apes, and still have a lot of work to do.
jbaber
This does seem to be European cat oriented rather than "where did domesticated cats come from in the first place?"
https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/domestication
alganet
I always found the conceptual intersection between cats and laptops to be full of coincidences.
Humans sometimes place cats on their laps. The same happens with laptops (hence the name).
Cats and laptops are often seen inside boxes.
Cats and laptops are known to reproduce sounds that are similar to humans but not quite the same.
Future historians will be so confused.