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Domestication of the dog
and . . .
From: The Ultimate Dog Book
. . . cat
Objectives
 Discuss the origin and development of
domestic dogs and cats
 Taxonomy of the dog and cat
 Archeological evidence
 Recent DNA based evidence
Origin of Carnivores
 Miacids (Miacidae family)
 62 million years ago
 Small, tree-dwelling
 Plantigrade
 Carnassial teeth
 Miacids
viverines (cats)
miacines (dogs)
Traditional Taxonomy of the
Dog and Cat
 Phylum – Animalia
 Class – Mammalia
 Order – Carnivora
 Suborder – Fissipedia
 Families – Canidae

Genus – Canis
 Species –
 Families

Canis familiaris
– Felidae
Genus – Felis
 Species –
Felis catus
Taxonomy
 Systematized 0rganization of Life
 In a state of flux
 Criteria used to determine groupings:
 physical/skeletal similarities
 ability to intermate - produce
fertile offspring
 similarity of chromosomes
 gene homology
Terminology
 Wild
 Tame
 Opportunist
 Domestic
 Feral
Major Questions on the Origin of
Domestic Species
•
•
•
•
Where were they domesticated
When, i.e. how long ago
What species were they domesticated from
Did it happen separately in multiple places
and at different times?
• Multiple species?
• One species, with multiple admixtures of
the founding species?
Origin of the Cat
 Are first to be covered
 But were they the first animal to be
domesticated?
 miacids
 viverines & miacines – 30 mya
large prehistoric cats (Smilodon)
 dinictis – a small cat
 modern cat

Taxonomy of the Cat
 Phylum – Animalia
 Class – Mammalia
 Order – Carnivora
 Family – Felidae
 Genus – Felis
 Species – catus
Origin of the Cat
Big versus Small Cats – 36 species
 Felis – small cats; 13 genera
 Lynx – (obsolete?)
 Pantera – large cats; 4 genera
 Acinonyx – cheetah; 1 genus
Origin of the Cat
Domestic cat and some relatives:
Common name
Chromosome number
Domestic cat
38
Tiger
38
Cheetah
38
Ocelot &
Geoffrey’s
Cat
36
Origin of the Cat
 Fewer physical changes than many
domesticated animals
 High homology
 Most cats - 19 pairs of chromosomes
 Striped
 Greater variety in eye color than
dogs

yellow, green, gold, & blue
CITES
 Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species
 http://www.cites.org
 regulates international trade of
selected species
 ~5000 animal species
 ~25000 plant species
http://news
Origin of the Domestic Cat
 9500 ya – Cyprus
 4500 BC – Egypt
 utilitarian – mouser
 spiritual – diety
Origin of the Domestic Cat

African Wildcat – Felis silvestris lybica


Africa, slight build and stripes
European Wildcat – Felis silvestris
silvestris

Scotland to SE Russia, stocky, distinct
stripes
 Were cats domesticated in Egypt or
also possibly in the Orient as well?
 Very recent molecular genetic data

Domestic cat – Felis catus - worldwide
Ancestors of
Domestic Cats
European
Wildcat
African
Wildcat
Ancestors of
Domestic Cats
European
Wildcat
Domestic
Cat
African
Wildcat
History of Domestic Cats
 Cat goddess worshipped in
ancient Egypt - Bastet approx. 4,500 yr. ago
 Cat mummies found especially in area of Bubastis
in Nile Delta
 Domestic cats likely moved
to Italy and other parts of
Europe as a result of trade
History of Domestic Cats
French astronomer
Lalende put a cat
constellation
in the sky.
(It looks like a nutria to me.)
Nutrias
Origin of the Dog
 Origin of domestic dogs - fox, wolf,
coyote?
 Criteria used to determine origin:
 physical/skeletal similarities
 ability to intermate - produce
fertile offspring
 similarity of chromosomes
 gene homology
Origin of the Dog
Members of the Canidae family:
Ch r o m o s o m e
Co m m o n n a m e
no .
Ar c t i c f o x
48
Co y o t e
78
Di n g o
78
Do m e s t i c d o g
78
Gr e y f o x
66
Re d wo l f
78
Wo l f
78
Australian dingo
Origin of the Domestic Dog
 Recent thinking was - dog, jackel,
dingo all developed from the wolf :
 structurally similar
 all of these will intermate producing fertile offspring
 same chromosome number
 karyotyping shows complete
similarity of chromosomes
Origin of the Domestic Dog
 Wolf => Dog
 natural genetic variability
 natural selection - disposition
 artificial selection and breeding



disposition
appearance
function
Origin of the Domestic Dog
 Wolf – Canis lupus
European wolf – Canis lupus lupus
 Alaskan timber wolf – Canis lupus


pambasileus
Red wolf – Canis (lupus?) rufus

Domestic dog – Canis lupus
familiaris
Conclusions
• Canis familiaris was domesticated from the
wolf ~ 15,000 ya
• Domestication occurred in east Asia
Conclusions
•
•
•
•
•
Dingos derived from domestic dogs
Came to Australia 5000 ya
Possibly a one time occurrence
Have been a distinct population since
Are dingos domestic or feral?
What breed of dog is seen in this picture?
Answer
•Large Munsterlander