Posted on 11/20/2022 7:20:03 PM PST by SunkenCiv
A New International Project Studying The Origin And History Of Cats Is Investigating Evidence Of An Ancient Feline Migration Into Europe.
Previous research had recovered DNA from the Near Eastern wildcat, the ancestor of modern domestic cats, from ancient sites in Central Europe dated to 3000 BC. Such finds preceded the establishment of domestic cats in the region by millennia, which is believed to happened during the Roman period...
As such, Dr Danijela and a team of researchers began a new research project combining palaeogenetics, zooarchaeology and radiocarbon dating to study the origins and history of the cat in Central Europe. Their preliminary results are published in the journal Antiquity.
One key finding is further evidence of Near Eastern wildcat genes in European specimens before the Neolithic, when the first farmers began migrating into Europe. “This means that their dispersal through Europe preceded the first farmers’ arrival, so these cats probably were still wild animals that naturally colonised Central Europe,” said Dr Popovic.
Such a timeline raises many further questions about this migration, such as whether a relationship developed between these early cats and ancient farming communities, how far into Europe they reached, and whether there is evidence of them mating with the native European wildcat. The team hopes their project will shed light on some of these issues.
(Excerpt) Read more at heritagedaily.com ...
I’m guessing that is a scene from Blazing Saggles that I’ve never seen or heard referenced before? Definitely something on my bucket list.
IMO, cats that have a job are awesome; unemployed cats can be big trouble.
Ping
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