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How cats conquered the world (and a few Viking ships)
Nature,com ^ | 20 September 2016 | Ewen Callaway

Posted on 09/21/2016 5:10:09 AM PDT by SJackson

First large-scale study of ancient feline DNA charts domestication in Near East and Egypt and the global spread of house cats.

Thousands of years before cats came to dominate Internet culture, they swept through ancient Eurasia and Africa carried by early farmers, ancient mariners and even Vikings, finds the first large-scale look at ancient-cat DNA.

The study, presented at a conference on 15 September, sequenced DNA from more than 200 cats that lived between about 15,000 years ago and the eighteenth century ad.

Researchers know little about cat domestication, and there is active debate over whether the house cat (Felis silvestris) is truly a domestic animal — that is, its behaviour and anatomy are clearly distinct from those of wild relatives. “We don’t know the history of ancient cats. We do not know their origin, we don't know how their dispersal occurred,” says Eva-Maria Geigl, an evolutionary geneticist at the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris. She presented the study at the 7th International Symposium on Biomolecular Archaeology in Oxford, UK, along with colleagues Claudio Ottoni and Thierry Grange.

(Excerpt) Read more at nature.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: africa; agriculture; ancientnavigation; animalhusbandry; cats; egypt; eurasia; evamariageigl; felissilvestris; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; thevikings; vikings
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To: katana

Cats enjoy doing their job. How many humans can say that?


61 posted on 01/17/2022 9:24:08 AM PST by Fresh Wind (Media Control is an anagram of Delta Omicron.)
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To: SJackson

Hi.

In the fwiw department we have had hunting dogs most of our life. About 15 years ago, with my last English Springer getting old, we accidentally acquired a cat. Approx 9 months old. Short hair domestic. Tiger is his name because he would kill squirrels, rats, rabbits and pigmy rattlers. He is gray, black with wolverine stripes. He has a “Guaoul” marking on his head. Weighs about 20+ pounds. Even the alligators wouldn’t mess with him.

Two years later, again at Christmas we “acquired” another cat. Calico. Her name is Lady. Doesn’t hunt anything, not even geccos.

Lap cat.

5.56mm


62 posted on 01/17/2022 9:40:59 AM PST by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho need to go.)
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To: Iowa Granny; Ladysmith; Diana in Wisconsin; JLO; sergeantdave; damncat; phantomworker; joesnuffy; ..
Outdoors/Rural/wildlife/hunting/hiking/backpacking/National Parks/animals list please FR mail me to be on or off . And ping me is you see articles of interest.

An old thread revived, which I didn't ping at the time.

63 posted on 01/17/2022 12:21:33 PM PST by SJackson (I just think COVID is God's gift to the left, Jane Fonda)
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To: Wonder Warthog

There are lots of coyotes north of Coeur d’Alene. The NextDoor app has at least daily “Lost Dog” or “Lost Cat” pleas. Many of the dogs are found and returned, but I don’t think a single kitty has been returned. Tasty snacks to the coyotes.


64 posted on 01/17/2022 1:07:59 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (81 million votes...and NOT ONE "Build Back Better" hat)
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To: skepsel

That’s a fun story — the kind you used to find in Reader’s Digest all the time. Thanks!


65 posted on 01/17/2022 1:09:41 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (81 million votes...and NOT ONE "Build Back Better" hat)
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To: Monkey Face
😮😀
66 posted on 01/17/2022 2:26:09 PM PST by Bikkuri (I am proud to be a PureBlood.)
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To: SJackson

Now I know why my 4 cats bowed down to worship the Viking Kitty photos-this article says they DO exist...


67 posted on 01/17/2022 2:58:26 PM PST by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: SJackson

I always assumed Vikings were dog people.
No wonder they can’t win the Supa Bow.


68 posted on 01/17/2022 2:59:18 PM PST by griffin (Don't ever forget. In RW#1, Tyrants were SHOT IN THE FACE. A LOT. Remember!!)
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To: Wonder Warthog; Monkey Face
No one/nothing would want to mess with THIS cat:










69 posted on 01/17/2022 3:08:19 PM PST by Bikkuri (I am proud to be a PureBlood.)
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To: Wonder Warthog; Monkey Face
Oh, an they can do this too!






70 posted on 01/17/2022 3:11:02 PM PST by Bikkuri (I am proud to be a PureBlood.)
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To: Bikkuri

I saw one of those up close when I was a kid. Either it was a juvenile, or it’s a small breed because I expected it to be a lot larger. I never heard a sound come from its lips, but its mouth opened like it was going to say something scary.

Of course, I’ve heard them in the canyons at night...


71 posted on 01/17/2022 3:12:48 PM PST by Monkey Face ( ~~ Keep calm and watch British murder mysteries on TV ~~ Facebook )
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To: Wonder Warthog

The undisputed alpha/madrina of my cartel of 4 rescue/shelter cats is a big spayed tan-and charcoal tabby with white vest and paws called Lucia-she is 15 years old, fat at 17 lbs and doesn’t take any s*** off the others-not even my black male, Merlyn who has quite the dominant streak himself-when a mouse finds its way into the kitchen door, all 4 go into action for the chase-and-kill until the mouse is trapped and beaten-then the other 3 sit down and let Lucia finish the execution, which she appears to really enjoy-I am glad Lucia is only a pet housecat...


72 posted on 01/17/2022 3:16:11 PM PST by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: Bikkuri

Beautiful animal-so are the mountain lions we have out here in the woods-we hear them pretty often and see their tracks in the mud after rain, or when it snows-but they rarely show themselves...


73 posted on 01/17/2022 3:22:58 PM PST by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: Monkey Face

The biggest I ever saw was about 2 feet high. It is pretty rare to actually see one, they avoid humans when possible. They are deadly though..


74 posted on 01/17/2022 3:25:45 PM PST by Bikkuri (I am proud to be a PureBlood.)
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To: Texan5

I agree. The moun tain lions are very beautiful cats. It’s all in the face :)


75 posted on 01/17/2022 3:26:40 PM PST by Bikkuri (I am proud to be a PureBlood.)
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To: Bikkuri

Yeah, that would fit in with the one I saw. Scrappy thing, though. Wouldn’t want to fight with it. I’d be totally unprepared!


76 posted on 01/17/2022 4:19:49 PM PST by Monkey Face ( ~~ Keep calm and watch British murder mysteries on TV ~~ Facebook )
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To: Bikkuri
"No one/nothing would want to mess with THIS cat:"

I certainly wouldn't.

77 posted on 01/17/2022 5:00:37 PM PST by Wonder Warthog (Not Responding to Seagull Snark)
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To: Wonder Warthog

Squirrels are rats with furry tails and better PR.


78 posted on 01/21/2022 11:45:06 AM PST by Old Student (As I watch the balkanization of our nation I realize that Robert A. Heinlein was a prophet. )
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To: Old Student
"Squirrels are rats with furry tails and better PR."

Concur. So are chipmunks.......

79 posted on 01/21/2022 2:47:40 PM PST by Wonder Warthog (Not Responding to Seagull Snark)
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