Archaeologists searching the burial grounds have found everything from baboons to leopards to hippopotamuses. According to a recent study by Claudio Ottoni, cat domestication took place in two strains, but all domestic cats have a common ancestor: the North African / Southwest Asian wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica (Ottoni and others 2017). Several ancient Egyptian deities were depicted and sculptured with cat-like heads such as Mafdet, Bastet and Sekhmet, representing justice, fertility and power. "The last word on cat domestication (when and where) is not yet said," Wim Van Neer, a bioarchaeologist at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and Catholic University, Leuven, wrote in an email to Live Science.

Several archaeological remains point towards the domestication of cats in Ancient Egypt. Archaeologists know that cats later became an important part of Egyptian life and religion. Because of the healing, researchers suspect humans kept the cat for at least 4 to 6 weeks before its death. J.D. Brown concluded that younger and lighter colored cats generally find homes more quickly than older and darker colored cats (Brown and Morgan 2014). Ancient Egyptians worshipped many animals for thousands of years. According to Egyptian mythology, gods and goddesses had the power to transform themselves into different animals. Analyzing the pattern of cat coats is one of the best ways for scientists to distinguish between wild and domesticated cats, since it is one of the few visible differences between the two. The skeletons of six cats, including four kittens, found in an Egyptian cemetery may push back the date of cat domestication in Egypt by nearly 2,000 years.

By studying ancient cat DNA from all over the world, the researchers found that cat domestication began in the Fertile Crescent (in the Neolithic period) and accelerated later in ancient Egypt (in the Classical period) (Ottoni and others 2017). The last common ancestor of wildcats and domesticated cats lived more than 100,000 years ago” (Derbyshire). Animals were revered for different reasons. Nor did they likely come from the adult female buried with them, as she was not old enough to have birthed 4- to 5-month-old kittens.

Egyptians believed cats were magical creatures, capable of bringing good luck to the people who housed them.

The deity Mut was also depicted as a cat and in the company of a cat. The new cat skeletons show no signs of injury, healed or not. Thank you for signing up to Live Science. All six lay nestled together in a pit about 20 inches (50 centimeters) in diameter and about 10 inches (25 cm) deep.

and 1950 B.C. © The new find includes two adult cats and four kittens from at least two litters. Another question is whether coat color impacts the length of time a cat will stay in a shelter.

Dogs were just as much man’s best friend in ancient Egypt as they are today. Archaeologists once believed that cats were domesticated in the time of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt, approximately 4,000 years ago, between 2310 B.C. A contented cat at Yoder’s Amish Home … near Walnut Creek in central Ohio. Bastet was a goddess who could become a cat. Crossley found that depending on their breed, coat color, and hair length, cats may be more susceptible to hyperthyroidism (Crossley and others 2017). Art from ancient Egypt shows statues and paintings of every type of feline. Scientists have also used coat colors and patterns to study other aspects of cats.

W.P. Cats in ancient Egypt were represented in social and religious practices of ancient Egypt for more than 3,000 years. This is the species most likely to have been domesticated into today's modern housecat (Felis catus or Felis silvestris catus).

But the ages of the cats suggest something strange was going on. However, they did not find evidence that any present day domesticated cats are related to leopards, so if there was a time that they were domesticated, it did not last (Vigne and others 2016). The size of the bones suggests the cats belong to the species Felis silvestris, a small wildcat found in Africa, Europe and Central Asia. Kittens crawling on Representative Peter Kostmayer in his Congressional office. Original article on Live Science. The evidence from Ottoni’s study also gives an explanation for the way cats spread around the world. Archaeologists once believed that cats were domesticated in the time of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt, approximately 4,000 years ago, between 2310 B.C. E.A.

and 3800 B.C., which would be 2,000 years before the earliest known evidence of cat domestication in Egypt, archaeologists report in the May issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science. and 1950 B.C… When the cats died, they were mummified.

Cat skeletons are rare finds, Van Neer said, and complete skeletons are even more exceptional. It is generally accepted that cats were first domesticated in ancient Egypt in the Middle Kingdom by the 20th to 19th century B.C. By studying ancient cat DNA from all over the world, the researchers found that cat domestication began in the Fertile Crescent (in the Neolithic period) and accelerated … Vigne studied skeletal remains of cats in China and found that there may have been a short-lived domestication of leopards in China, independent of domestication elsewhere (Vigne and others 2016). Several strands of data indicate that cats were present in Egypt as early as … This project was headed by Dr. Andrew Kitchener, a Zoologist at the National Museums of Scotland, who writes, "This shows that the origin of domestic cats was not Ancient Egypt - which is the prevailing view - but Mesopotamia and that it occurred much earlier than was thought. Moreover, various DNA comparisons also suggest that many species of modern cats may have been descended from the Egypt… There is still much to learn about the history of cat domestication. NY 10036. Animals were revered for different reasons. In the city of Per-Bast, a beautiful temple was built, and people came from all over to experience its splendor. Visit our corporate site. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress, Motor Vehicles, Aeronautics, Astronautics. Many experts are also curious as to whether there is a link between coat color and behavior. Cat skeletons found in an elite cemetery in Hierakonpolis may have been sacrified and buried as part of some religious ritual. Meanwhile, cat domestication in China may date back 5,300 years, according to research published in December 2013. Please refresh the page and try again. But in 2004, researchers reported a 9,500-year-old joint burial of a cat and a human on the island of Cyprus. Cats Domesticated Themselves, Ancient DNA Shows, Cat identification: colors and coat patterns, Long before they conquered the Internet, cats took over the world, The palaeogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world, The relationship between coat color and aggressive behaviors in the domestic cat. By analyzing the ancient DNA of cat remains found in port cities, the scientists concluded that cats were brought along on ships, most likely to help protect food storages on board by killing rodents (Ottoni and others 2017). Stelow used an online survey study and found that there may be a slightly better chance for tortoiseshell, calico, gray and white, and black and white cats to be more aggressive than others (Stelow and others 2015). New York, Stay up to date on the coronavirus outbreak by signing up to our newsletter today. The researchers analyzed the size and shape of the cat jaws, comparing them to those of wild and domestic cats in Europe. DNA reveals clues. The kittens were all between 4 and 5 months old at death, but one pair was slightly older than the other, the tooth data revealed.

Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. In an earlier discovery at the Hierakonpolis cemetery, researchers unearthed another wildcat, Felis chaus, found buried with a healed fracture in its leg.

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