sweetlaniko - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual cats - pictured above are cats in a cat house
The DNA from archaeological cat remains is being tested in an effort to solve the mystery of cat domestication. Scientists have known for a while that feline domestication has come about in a way that is much different compared to other animals.
A team of researchers is analyzing over 1,300 samples of cats from notable museum collections to learn more about the history of the relationship between cats and humans.
"Cats are really peculiar in a way because they have adapted a lot to humans, but without really changing their nature," said Dr. Claudio Ottoni, a paleogeneticist from the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy.
"Even physically, a wild cat and a domestic cat are not that different. Cats have been very successful evolutionarily and adapted very well to the human niche, which is fascinating."
The archaeological samples were found in more than 80 different sites across Europe, Africa, and southwest Asia. They range from before 10,000 B.C. to the 18th century.
By studying the genetic information from these ancient cat remains, the researchers hope to be able to map out the biological and environmental factors that drove cat domestication. Their work could reveal when and where domestic cats first appeared in regions around the world.
The research team tested the cat remains using advanced techniques. For instance, they ground up tiny fragments of bone and teeth into powder and extracted DNA from it.
Next, they turned the DNA into a collection of overlapping fragments that make up the total genomic DNA of an organism when put all together.
Then, they used next-generation sequencing to quickly process large amounts of data. The advanced technology will help make it easier to detect patterns of genetic mutations over time. These mutations are markers of the different stages of cat domestication.
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