New DNA analysis shows how cats spread around the world (2016) | Hacker News Reader

New DNA analysis shows how cats spread around the world (2016)

smithsonianmag.com

46 pointsjelliclesfarm24 comments

This is science news reporting based on a conference presentation.

It appears that the work was published in a couple papers following the analysis. I recommend checking them out for the actual results and informative figures.

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02397046/file/CatDomest...

Figure 5A shows the dispersion of cat genotypes over time.

Figure 7 shows some great illustrations of Tabby cat coat patterns drawn by the author, also demonstrating how serious science doesn't need to be dry and stuffy. I love the faces on the illustrated cats

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03661986/document

This paper builds on the prior work and clarifies a lot of the questions of historical context asked in this thread regarding Vikings, ect.

> For decades, researchers believed cats were domesticated in Egypt around 4,000 years ago, writes Stephanie Pappas at LiveScience. But a 9,500-year-old human burial in Cyprus that included cat bones found in 2004 upended that idea, and another study from 2014 indicates that domestic cats were bred in upper Egypt 6,000 years ago.

For comparison, estimates place dog domestication as having taken place anywhere between 29,000 and 14,000 years ago.

> Researchers recently traced their spread around the world to their relations with farmers and travels with merchants and Vikings

...

> Geigl’s team discovered that cats with a mitochondrial lineage from Egypt began appearing in Bulgaria, Turkey and sub-Saharan Africa between the fourth century B.C. and the fourth century A.D.

That sounds much too early for Vikings. The connection with maritime trade makes sense but I don't see where Vikings fit into the picture.

The page is ambiguous, but I’m fairly confident they’re not saying the 2nd wave ended in the 4th century A.D.

Then a better way to describe the "second wave" would probably be along the lines of "sailors have been spreading cats around the world since about 400 BCE". I think I've heard of islands that had no cats until they were visited by European ships in the 19th century, so it's a trend that likely didn't end until the whole world was colonized.

The next sentence says :

In fact, a cat with the Egyptian mitochondrial DNA was found in a Viking site in North Germany dating between 700 and 1000 A.D.

which means by the time Vikings were Vikings they already had cats, and could bring them along for their rides?

Way too early. From the dates, its more likely to be Roman sailors and/or Roman-affiliated traders.

Speaking of cats and the Viking age, cats played a prominent and mixed role in early medieval Scandinavia: https://www.academia.edu/42251199/The_Warrior_and_the_Cat_A_...

Pull quotes from the summary: "Cat bones from many trading centres show cut marks from skinning and highlight the value of cat fur. In contrast, the occurrence of cats in male burials points rather to a function as exotic and prestigious pets. "

I can't help but feel that the world would have been a better place if intelligence had arisen among felines rather than primates.

what if it did among both?

I doubt they'd get along and I think the fault would be more on the monkeys side than the cats.

I can't help but feel that the world would have been a worse place if intelligence had arisen among any obligate carnivore species, such as felines.

All biological life feeds on death. It's a self-devouring hell.

What a wild take. Both factually incorrect and overly negative.

Is it so hellish that plants feed on the slow death of stars?

Death is a part of life, and it is beautiful that it gives rise to other life.

Most feeds on the living, death is just a consequence if being consumed.

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