Semi-domesticated? House cats not far removed from wild, genome shows

It may not surprise the average cat owner, but a team of researchers has discovered that the genome of domestic mousers differs only slightly from that of wildcats.

In other words, after 9,000-odd years of living alongside humans, the house cat remains only semi-domesticated, according to a report published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

After comparing the genome of an Abyssinian cat named Cinnamon with those of humans, tigers, cows, dogs and another cat breed known as the Birman, the scientists found that cats retain many of the hunting, sensory and digestive traits of their wild kin.

Researchers did find a signal for human influence on cat evolution, however, in fur color and pattern, as well as a set of genes that are thought to be associated with tameness.

We believe we have created the first preliminary evidence that depicts domestic cats as not that far removed from wildcat populations, said senior author Wes Warren, an associate professor of genomics at the Genome Institute at Washington University in St. Louis.

The discovery that as few as 13 genes may separate domestic cats from their wild ancestors was a genuinely important advance, according to John Bradshaw, an anthrozoologist at the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Sciences in Britain, who was not involved in the research.

This can only be the beginning of what will surely lead to a revolution in cat breeding, Bradshaw wrote.

By pinpointing genes responsible for cat behavior and temperament, humans could more easily guide more changes in the animal.

The potential is there to finally guide the cat through the remaining stage of domestication, not only producing cats that are better adapted to the demands of 21st century living, but at the same time enhancing their well being, Bradshaw wrote.

Unlike dogs, which some researchers say began their association with humans roughly 30,000 years ago, archaeological evidence suggests that cats first entered our living space when we began to grow crops, about 10,000 years ago.

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Semi-domesticated? House cats not far removed from wild, genome shows