Download The Evolution of the House Cat

The Evolution of the House Cat
All cats are part of the Felidae family, which is split into three genera: Panthera (cats that roar lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, and jaguars); Acinonyx (the cheetah); Felis
(all other small cats). The ancestor of the House cat is the African Wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica)
Wildcats are large carnivores who only eat meat. House cats (Felis catus) are smaller animals that
eat meat and vegetables. The appearance of the male and the female cats is extremely similar,
although the male cat is usually slightly larger. House cats have evolved to have a slightly longer
large intestine than wildcats, and have a gene for digesting fatty plant matter. All cats have very
good hearing. Scientists have identified genes that evolved to make their hearing ultrasonic, and to
improve their low light vision. Scientists have also found genes that show that cats have an alternate
form of smell. They are able to detect chemicals called pheromones, which allows them to find the
opposite sex easily. As a result house cats have multiplied quickly and become popular pets.
Archaeologists have looked for early evidence of a relationship between humans and cats for a
long time. They have found a cat buried near a human from Cyprus from around 9,500 years ago,
which suggested some type of relationship between the two. In ancient Egypt cats were sacred
animals. The goddess Bastet was often depicted in cat form. There are also many paintings from
ancient Egypt that have cats sitting under the chairs of women. 5,560 years ago farmers in China
began using cats to solve their rodent problems, and because of this many farmers fed and allowed
the cats to stay in their houses because the cats were helpful.
https://youtu.be/ERJtqUMFXOg
During the Middle Ages, cats were seen as sources of evil in Europe. Many thought cats were
associated with witches or the devil. Because of this many people killed cats hoping that this would
protect them from evil. Ironically the killing of the cats resulted in the spread of the plague from
1346 to 1353, as there were fewer cats to kill the rats who spread the plague. Cats became
domesticated between the years 1500 and 1800. They were spread throughout the world because
they were carried on most ships to help control the rodents. The cats were also seen as good luck
charms and were companions for the sailors who were often away from home for a long time Today
there are around 600 million house cats around the world!
https://youtu.be/53Jb7Y6eUUU
House cats have evolved into small pets, who are intelligent and fairly independent. They can
easily be trained to use a litter box. They also have fairly small appetites and keep themselves clean.
Domestic cats, especially when young, love to play, which is important in helping kittens learn to
stalk, capture and kill their prey. Cats prefer to play with toys that resemble prey, and tend to play
more with the toys when they are hungry. Many house cats are fed cat food by their owners but,
like their wildcat ancestors, about half of the house cat population live in the wild, where they hunt
birds and rodents for food.
http://nationalgeographic.org/media/crittercam-house-cats/
Sources:
http://www.livescience.com/48696-origins-of-cat-domestication.html
http://www.catsinfo.com/history.html
http://www.latimes.com/science/space/la-sci-sn-cat-genome-20141107-story.html
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/11/genes-turned-wildcats-kitty-cats
http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/scienceandthesacred/2009/05/evolution-and-the-housecat.html
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/genome-comparison-shows-how-wildcats-becamehousecats/
http://www.brighthub.com/science/genetics/articles/42302.aspx
https://youtu.be/ERJtqUMFXOg
https://youtu.be/53Jb7Y6eUUU
Will a miniature species of house cats become more prominent as people live in smaller
homes?
Katelyn C